Desert Sun
by Italicised
Summary: Inspired by an idea on Tumblr sent to me by an anon; Princess Zelda is a Gerudo. So is Calamity Ganon. What does this mean for the destiny of Hyrule? I did something different this time around and finished the fic entirely before I'm publishing it. It's complete at fourteen chapters. I'll upload one chapter every day for two weeks, so please enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

The Sheikah warned that Calamity Ganon would return, but the legend of ten thousand years ago would not ring true again. This time, Calamity Ganon was not some mindless entity set on devouring the land. This time, he was a Gerudo - and he wanted power. It would take years before the Gerudo realised that the rare voe born among them was destined to hold the Triforce of Power, and once they had, it was too late. Darius, as he was known, renamed himself _Ganon_ at twenty-three years old _,_ and disappeared into the desert, threatening to return and to hold all of Hyrule under his wrath.

The Princess of the Gerudo, Zelda, was his age. They knew that she and whoever the sword that sealed the darkness chose would be destined to defeat Ganon, and so she underwent strict training from a young age. Her parents died when she was still young, and so Urbosa, a friend of her mother's and Champion of the Gerudo people, raised her herself.

Despite the looming threat of Ganon, life was peaceful for some time, until it was discovered that the Master Sword had been picked up by a Hylian knight. He would have to fight alongside Zelda and the other Champions - and that moment was soon coming.

"Link, your highness."

"Princess Zelda, of the Gerudo."

"It's an honor to meet you."

"Likewise."

Zelda watched, waited, and narrowed her green eyes at the newcomer. She couldn't think of any point in her life when a _voe_ had snuck into Gerudo Town, let alone to do so without any punishment or consequences. The Hylian men rarely had any respect for Gerudo traditions or culture, and as her gaze swept over the sheer and light fabrics that hung over his body - his subtly muscular and masculine body - frustration festered within her.

A breeze pushed in through the Gerudo palace, sending wayward auburn hair playing past her cheeks, and ruffling the voe's blonde hair. The silence was heavy, and lasting too long.

"If that's all, I'll ask that you leave."

The blond had been kneeling, and stood up abruptly now, looking slightly taken aback.

"Where should I stay?"

"The tents outside," Zelda replied bluntly, watching him expectantly. She waited for him to argue this, but he surprised her by simply bowing his head once more.

"I'll be with Revali and Daruk then, if you need me."

"Don't you worry about us needing you."

Zelda glanced sideways, surprised to hear Urbosa speaking so brazenly to the newcomer. The woman had a warm smile on her face as she looked at Link, who looked up in slight surprise and then smiled gratefully back. Zelda furrowed her brow. For a moment there she'd forgotten that all the Champions were so… friendly with each other. She wished she could join them in their enthusiasm, but part of her had always felt far-removed from their little club. It was her own fault for stalling so long in meeting Link, but the way that everyone spoke so highly of him had only made her distrust him more.

"Ganon cannot get in the city. I make well sure of that. But as long as you're outside, he can get to you," Urbosa explained.

"We'll have guards patrolling the perimeter, but keep your wits about you, Link. It was good to see you," she added softly, and again Zelda tried to stifle the slight jealousy that threatened to rise within her. She inhaled and then exhaled slowly, returning her gaze to the man standing ahead of her. The knight did nothing but stare back, and Zelda raised her eyebrows at him as if to ask, _why are you still here?_

"That's all."

The blond blinked - obviously he'd been hoping to talk a little longer, but she wasn't having it - and his gaze lingered on her momentarily before he turned and left out the open palace archway. Zelda let a loud sigh escape her as soon as she was sure he was beyond earshot, and Urbosa laughed.

"You really can't stand him, little bird?"

"Of course I can't," Zelda replied, rubbing her temples as she fell back lazily into the throne. "He snuck in here wearing - wearing _that,_ " she said, gesturing in front of her as if he was still standing there.

"What did you expect him to do? I thought it looked good on him," her mentor replied with a laugh, and Zelda looked up at her incedulously.

"It wouldn't look good on anyone. It's nothing like what we wear. It's not even like what Hylian vai wear," Zelda continued, rolling her eyes. She could feel Urbosa's gaze on her - a mix of amusement and disapproval, no doubt - but ignored it.

"I wish we didn't have to ask anyone else for help. Ganon is a Gerudo - we should be able to deal with him alone."

"With all due respect, Princess-"

A new voice, a softer voice, had piped up. Mipha stood in the archway now, looking embarrassed. The princess couldn't help but smile, and stood immediately to go greet her.

"I- well I'm offering my services not because I think you need them, but because I want to do my part in helping the kingdom."

The Zora fidgeted her webbed hands in front of her, looking nervous but also sure in her convictions, and Zelda hugged her in greeting. Mipha seemed surprised, but returned it enthusiastically before they pulled apart again.

"I know. I didn't really mean it, Mipha. Something about him just… drives me up the wall a little," Zelda admitted, tilting her head sideways.

"Really?" Mipha replied, looking up at her with bright hazel eyes. "I think he's lovely. But I've known Link for a very long time. He's incredibly thoughtful and hardworking, and considerate of others. In many ways, he reminds me a lot of you," she added, looking kindly at Zelda.

"It's a shame I couldn't have gotten to know him earlier," Zelda lied, knowing the Zora champion wouldn't catch her sarcasm, and turned from Mipha then to head back to the throne. She shot an amused _stop it!_ look at Urbosa, who was grinning obviously from ear to ear.

"You'll have lots of time now," Mipha said enthusiastically, and a snort escaped Urbosa. A smile twitched at Zelda's lips despite herself, but she sighed a moment later, sitting back down on her chair.

"So… Daruk, Revali, and Link are camped outside of town," Zelda thought aloud, "Mipha is staying in town with us… is that everyone, then? What of King Rhoam in Hyrule?"

"He's working closely with the Sheikah to study the guardians and the shrines," Mipha replied, walking a little closer now. "Have you heard of Purah and Robbie? They're making some breakthroughs with the guardians motion, but it's still a little hard to understand. Apparently, the Yiga know how to control them, but-"

"We will _not_ be working with the Yiga," Zelda snapped back, and as disappointment flashed across Mipha's face, Zelda's expression softened.

"I'm sorry, Mipha. But we've tried to trust them in the past, and all they do is double-cross us. They _want_ Ganon to return. They're probably harboring him right now."

Urbosa approached Mipha then, resting a hand on the Zora's shoulder.

"She's right, unfortunately. We can't trust the Yiga with anything. They're going to make life miserable for us as soon as they realise all of the champions are here."

Mipha nodded understandably and took her leave shortly after, walking quietly back outside. Zelda sunk back into the chair and Urbosa came to stand beside her.

"You're doing a great job."

Zelda tilted her head to look at her, her ponytail falling back past the armrest of her chair. Urbosa lifted it in her hands, running her fingers through the dark red strands, and Zelda let her eyes fall shut. It was a calming sensation, and she'd been so tense lately - having the other champions here was stressful. There were so many opinions now, so many ideas being thrown at her about what should be done to stop Ganon from seizing power, that she didn't know where to look first. But Urbosa had a way of making her feel better. She always had.

"I'm trying," she sighed, opening her eyes and staring up at the maroon and yellow fabrics that hung above, swaying lightly in the desert breeze. "I'm just glad I've got you on my side," she added with a smile, looking upside-down at Urbosa. The woman tilted her head, resting her hands on her hips.

"I'm always on your side, little bird. But that doesn't mean you can't rely on others as well. You should give it a try - who knows what'll happen," Urbosa said mysteriously, and Zelda sat up quickly, giving her a suspicious look.

"What does that mean?"

"Don't you worry about it," Urbosa said dismissively, waving her hand as she left out the front archway. "I'm going to check on the guards. Why don't you go make sure that Link is behaving himself? I'm sure Revali will be happy to see you."

Heat filled Zelda's cheeks, and she lifted a pillow she'd been leaning on to throw at Urbosa, who ducked deftly and shot a smile back at her. Zelda groaned, laying back in the throne, knowing that it probably would be a good idea to go check on the three voe outside. Maybe she'd bring them some cold hydromelon. Daruk, at least, was great company. Revali was cocky, but meant well and always made her laugh, but apparently also had a - she shuddered - _crush_ on her. Or at least that's what Urbosa often teased her about. And Link, well… Link she knew nothing about except that _he_ was the one to pick up the sword. She'd heard that he was quiet, and that much was true so far, although Mipha seemed to think quite highly of him.

 _Fine._

It didn't take long for her to prepare three hydromelons and voltfruit, and she carried it on a platter towards the city gates, smiling at the guards who tapped their spears as she passed. A makeshift camp had been set up just outside the town walls, where Daruk, Revali, and Link would be staying, as well as a few other royal guards and Sheikah that King Rhoam had sent to help. It was much busier than she was used to.

The Hylian guards bowed as she passed. Most were vai, as per her request, and were able to go in and out of the town as needed to pick things up for the three champions.

When she ducked into the main tent outside, the one they'd be using for planning, she was surprised to see Link alone, cross-legged and looking over a desert map. He wasn't wearing the vai outfit from earlier; it was a voe outfit, and a rare one that she'd only ever seen on mannequins before. His blonde hair was tied up in a high ponytail, a gold choker around his neck, leather strap on his arm, sweat beading on his brow-

She cleared her throat to announce her arrival. He looked up quite suddenly in surprise, and hastily got to his feet.

"Link," she greeted him simply, and he responded in kind.

"Princess."

"I brought these for you, Daruk, and Revali - do you know where they are?" she asked, lifting the tray forward a bit. Link walked up to her and she nearly took a step back as he came closer, but he only took the tray from her gratefully, and then set it down on the low table where his map was. He was taller than she'd expected.

"They'll be here in a minute. I wanted some help with the desert's geography," he explained.

"Well - no offense to Daruk or Revali, but I think I know it better than them," she said, and Link looked hopeful.

"Could you help me, then?"

She hadn't noticed until now how blue his eyes were - they were more striking and piercing than other Hylians, and although Zelda was often confident in her abilities to hide her emotions, she had a feeling that nothing would get past him. _Great._

"...yes, alright," she agreed reluctantly, now wishing she hadn't said anything. He was barely wearing any clothes, and his body was distracting, despite the fact that he was less muscular than most of her guards. And now that she saw him, she realised he was somewhat slimmer than Darius - _no, Ganon_ \- as well; the Gerudo voe was probably at least a foot taller than him, and had towered above her by about a foot and a half. He had always been muscular, but thinking of it now - thinking of how well she used to know his body - made her want to vomit.

Link resumed his cross-legged position at the table and then pulled a pillow over for Zelda, who took a seat beside him. He turned the map, and gestured to the sandstorm.

"So.. this?"

"It always storms there, due to high winds," Zelda explained, using a finger to circle the valley. "There's a shrine here, and another one of the Sheikah monuments, apparently. But you have to get through the sandstorm. At night it's not so bad, but we've yet to chart it completely due to the storm which starts up again every morning."

"Wow," Link replied, eyes wide as he stared at the page. "I'd like to see it. From- from a distance," he clarified, glancing sideways at her.

"You know, Mipha said she thought you could get through it on your own."

 _Sa'oten. What are you doing, Zelda?_

"Really?" Link's eyes lit up, and she tried to ignore the way he looked at her. What was it with those two? She'd just met him, but Mipha had spoken about him like she - like she - _oh._

"Yes," Zelda replied calmly, averting her gaze now from his and looking back down at the map. "She seems to think the world of you," she added, cursing herself internally as she did so. Link was quiet now in response, and looked back down at the map intently. Zelda shut her eyes. She was about to warn him not to go, but was interrupted before she could even get the first word out.

"Princess!"

Zelda glanced up to see Revali holding the tent flap up. His green eyes narrowed in on Link as if he was looking at something to eat for breakfast, but when Zelda looked back at Link to see his reaction, she was surprised to see his own expression remain stoic.

"I see you met our _hero_ , Link," Revali said, sarcasm dripping from his every word. As he walked in, he let the tent fabric fall back into the face of Daruk, who followed him.

"Little guy! Zelda! Good to see you two already met," the Goron said cheerfully, ignoring the fabric and letting it fall past his massive rocky shoulders. Zelda smiled at him, and then looked back to Revali.

"Mipha spoke very highly of Link," she said matter-of-factly, but the Rito only scoffed as he sat himself down across the table from the two of them.

"Well of course she did," he replied dryly, "everyone knows she's got a thing for him."

Zelda had to try to hide her disappointment. So she was right. It wasn't that she was jealous - was it? - but having a lovestruck pair as part of the Hylian Champions might be messy. At least Mipha hadn't admitted anything to her or Urbosa yet, but… surely the Zora would say something eventually. She tended to be quite frank about her feelings, and it was always, admittedly, a little bit off-putting.

Zelda looked sideways at Link, who was only staring back at Revali with a frown, but otherwise not giving anything away.

"So, we're all together now. Urbosa is checking with the guards today, and will move Vah Naboris closer tomorrow in case the Yiga or Ganon retaliate based on all of these tents. They're sure to notice," she said, standing up. Link and Revali followed quickly, but she shook her head and put her hands out, gesturing for them to stay seated.

"As you were. I'm heading in for the night. We'll meet here first thing in the morning. Oh, and enjoy the hydromelons while they're cold," she added quickly, before turning abruptly and leaving the tent. She knew she'd have to go to bed early tonight, as the days from now on would feel longer and longer, and there was much to be done.


	2. Chapter 2

Morning in the desert usually meant waking up to the sudden warmth of the rising sun, or a breeze that swept the curtains out from around her bed posts and slowly coerced Zelda from her slumber. But the next day, the sun had barely reached the horizon when Mipha ran suddenly into her chambers, calling to her to wake up.

"Wh- what? What's wrong?" Zelda rubbed her eyes, sitting up slowly and wrapping the blankets around her as Urbosa arrived at the top of the stairs.

" _Someone_ told Link he should go walk through that sandstorm all alone," Urbosa said, looking thoroughly unimpressed as she folded her arms.

 _Shit._

Zelda wanted to sink back down into the sheets. It was too early for this. Voe really were idiots, after all.

"He isn't usually so reckless," Mipha said worriedly, holding her hands together at her heart. "I don't understand why - I think he's trying to prove himself to you, but -"

Zelda's face scrunched up disapprovingly for a moment, and she wanted to snap back at that, but she could feel Urbosa's emerald eyes on her. She _knew_. She knew Zelda had put the idea in his head, but Mipha didn't, and as Zelda turned her eyes to Urbosa, silently pleading her to say nothing more, the woman's anger seemed to fade. _Thank the Heroines_. It seemed Urbosa wouldn't tell Mipha. But judging by the look on her face now, it was up to Zelda to make it right.

She swung her legs over the side of her bed, keeping the blanket wrapped around her; she wore a sheer fabric nightgown to bed and didn't feel appropriate not covering herself up around the other two.

"Can you get my sand seal ready? And a couple others to come with us? Urbosa, myself and them will go and search the outside of the storm."

"You- you can't go in there?" Mipha spoke worriedly but politely, and Zelda's frowned a little. She figured Mipha would ask, but there was no use.

"I'm sorry. We can't risk anyone else getting lost. Do you want to come with us?"

"No, I'd better stay here in case he returns," she said decidedly, and Zelda nodded.

"I'll change and meet you outside, then."

Equipped with one of her only surveying outfits - linen pants that tied in at the ankle, a long-sleeve ruby shirt, and a pair of sand goggles - Zelda met Urbosa outside the city walls. Revali was leaning against the shrine nearby, and looked far too happy with himself.

"Did you suggest it? He mentioned the sandstorm yesterday, and Daruk told him to not go, but he said he wanted to. Genius!" the Rito laughed, but stopped suddenly due to the way Urbosa glared at him. Zelda's mouth dropped open.

"I didn't _really_ mean to suggest he go out there," she whispered urgently back at Revali.

"You'd better be nice to him from now on," Urbosa warned, turning on Zelda now. "The rest of us? We _chose_ this. He was chosen, just like you. I had thought you'd relate to him a little, if not just for that."

Her words stung, and Zelda felt like a scolded child, her conscience heavy with guilt. It had been a long time since she'd felt like that, and getting it from Urbosa was the worst. She glanced back at the city briefly as they readied the sand seals, and saw Mipha, bright red and wavering in the heat waves against the sandstone walls, waving at her. The princess took a heavy breath, pulling her hair back and doubling her ponytail so that it might stay in place while they moved.

"We're going to find him," Urbosa called back to Mipha, "don't worry."

With that, they were off, alongside three other Gerudo navigators who knew the sandstorm well. Zelda narrowed her eyes at it in the distance - it was massive and looming as usual. Many idiot travelers had gone in and never returned, and although she didn't necessarily _like_ Link, she also needed him. If anything happened to him, it would be her fault. But even then, _why had he gone?_ Mipha thought it had been to prove himself to her, but Zelda had a feeling it was to impress Mipha, even though the Zora wasn't one to be enamored with reckless acts like that… was she?

They split up at the edge of the desert, Urbosa leaving with one guard, and Zelda leaving with another, while the last stayed at Kara Kara Bazaar. Even with goggles on, and without going too far into the sandstorm, it was incredibly hard to see. Link must have gone in at night, as many did - and then underestimated how large the sandstorm was once the sun was up. And now, as the sun reached its zenith, the daytime temperature was quickly and intensely rising.

They spent what must have been several hours searching, and saw no sign of him. Zelda was beginning to lose hope. They'd have to go back and search at night, but she didn't want to face Mipha without having found Link. She couldn't stand it when the Zora looked sad.

Finally, they left for Kara Kara Bazaar, and Urbosa and the other guard were already there, digging into a hydromelon to cool down. Urbosa offered one to Zelda, but she passed on it. She already felt sick.

"I'm such an idiot. I knew he'd want to go into that damn sandstorm. I just hope it wasn't for _my_ sake - I'd never live with myself, and Mipha would literally skewer me-"

"It was for your sake."

Zelda and the others looked up in surprise to see Link, walking in to Kara Kara Bazaar from the south, looking fine, albeit a little sunburnt. His hair was messy and full of sand, and his cheekbones had a few freckles she hadn't noticed the day before.

"I went and charted that monument," he said with a smile, but as his gaze swept over their surprised faces, his expression quickly dropped. "What?"

Zelda didn't know what to say. She looked to Urbosa, who was simply shaking her head.

"Mipha came to me this morning worried sick over you," Zelda finally said, exasperated. "So I organized a search party and we've just spent the last _two hours_ searching the perimeter of the storm."

Link was silent - a trait she was told to expect from him - but looked regretful nonetheless.

"So how did _you_ manage to chart the monument we've spent years trying to locate?" Urbosa suddenly asked, and Zelda's anger quickly dissipated. She was curious, too.

"I didn't think it would take so long. I got lost a couple times, but the sand seals helped me out," he said with a small smile, and Zelda, Urbosa, and the navigators exchanged glances. The Hylian apparently had no problem holding his own in the desert. As much as Zelda hated to admit it, she was impressed.

He walked to Zelda then and passed her the map they'd been looking at yesterday.

"I marked it on here," he said, shaking some sand out of his hair a moment later.

She looked at him in surprise and then opened the map. Sure enough, there was a scribble where the monument was, and it made sense enough. Now they could possibly begin to send excavating parties in there…

"Now that _that's_ settled, we should head back and let the others know there was nothing to worry about," Urbosa sighed, pushing her hair back from her face and turning. "Zelda, Link, we'll meet you there."

"Wh- wait, Urbosa-"

Zelda turned desperately, only to see the woman flash her a knowing smile and then take off on her sand seal along with the other navigators. That left only one sand seal for the two of them, and she nearly didn't even turn back to Link - she wanted to make him walk - but she knew Mipha would be waiting there for them.

"Link… have you ever ridden a sand seal before?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder at him. He shook his head.

"I can walk if you want, Princess," he said suddenly, and she winced. _Am I that obvious?_

"No, it's fine. Just hold on. Not too tight."

With her shield in place and the reins set, Link stepped up behind her, and she tried not to think too much about how it felt to have his body pressed against hers, his rough hands holding firm to her shoulders. It only reminded her of the last time she'd been with a voe, and she wasn't exactly impatient to remember it. She took a moment to swear she'd get Urbosa back as soon as she was able, and then they set off.

As they approached Gerudo Town and Zelda saw the red figure of Mipha waiting excitedly at the town gates, curiosity got the better of her.

"So, did you really go into the sandstorm just to impress Mipha?" she asked, her voice lost a little over the wind, but Link heard fine.

"No, why would I do that?" he replied, sounding genuine. Zelda blinked. Was he really that oblivious? Or did he just not return Mipha's feelings? Either way, that meant he may have been honest when he said he went in for _her_ sake, and she wasn't sure at all how to feel about that.

When they finally arrived and Zelda jumped off, she was surprised to see that Link immediately crouched down to the sand seal and gave the creature a few scratches around its mane. He obviously got along well with them - better than she ever had - and again she had to tame the bitterness that tugged at her tongue.

"Oh, Zelda! Thank you for bringing him back!"

Mipha had come running from the gates and immediately threw her arms around Zelda, who let out a little laugh and shook her head.

"He was fine, Mipha."

"I'm sorry I worried you," Link said, coming up from behind Zelda, and Mipha pulled away from her to take one of Link's hands in both of hers abruptly.

"You shouldn't be so reckless like that! What got it in your head to go out there?"

Zelda glanced at Link worriedly, and his blue eyes flicked sideways to hers, if only just for a second, before he looked back to Mipha.

"I saw a Sheikah monument one night and thought I could get to it before the storm kicked back up," he lied, but Mipha must not have noticed, because the Zora only shook her head disapprovingly. Zelda sighed in relief.

"It's okay. I met up with Zelda's - the Princess' search party at the bazaar," he added, correcting himself quite quickly. Mipha smiled in relief, and then looked to Zelda again with an expression of gratefulness in her eyes that tore at Zelda's conscience.

"Urbosa asked me to help train some of the girls with spears, so I'll be with them for the day. She told me to ask you to tour Link around the desert."

"I'll take him."

Revali interrupted them as he approached, feathers ruffling briefly before they settled once more. He tilted his head at Link, peering at him down a sharp beak.

"I'm sure I can hold this scrawny kid in my talons. He'll get a birds eye view."

"Tempting," Link replied with fake enthusiasm, and Zelda smiled a little at seeing the Hylian champion say something sarcastic for once. "But I think I'd prefer the Princess's company to yours."

"Mmhm," Revali replied, narrowing his eyes at Link. "Well, you'd better keep an eye on her, then. There's plenty of lizalfos out there."

Link opened his mouth to speak, but Zelda interjected.

"I've never needed help in defending myself in my own home," she replied coolly, and Revali lifted both of his wings in a show of surrender.

"Whatever! Just don't trust this guy if anything goes south."

He and Mipha left then, and Zelda sighed. She was happy to be rid of Revali's attitude for now, but then remembered the matter at hand: touring Link around. Urbosa was really rubbing it in her face that she wanted them to get along, and if Link hadn't noticed by now, she'd be surprised. Nonetheless, she wasn't about to bring attention to it.

"At least you can have your own sand seal this time," Zelda said, gesturing to the stables; but when she looked, the seals were all gone. _What?_ When they approached, Khoma, who rented out the sand seals, was apologetic.

"Sorry, Princess - Lady Urbosa needed them! She said she needed all of them!"

" _Sa'oten,_ Urbosa, I'm going to-"

Zelda cut herself off, rubbing her eyes.

"No. It's fine. Link, do you want to take the reins this time? The seals like you better."

The way his eyes lit up was all the answer she needed. It was _slightly_ more comfortable holding onto Link this time around, except that she had to press her hands against his abs and press her chest into his back, but there was no winning either way. Urbosa had made sure of that.

She kept her chin on his shoulder as they went, trying to keep an eye on where they were going and direct Link to specific spots. Here and there they stopped for a hydromelon, or to take a look at a monument, but the desert didn't hold _too_ much in terms of sight-seeing; a fact she was grateful for now.

They stopped at the leviathan bones in the far south, and then climbed to the top of a dune nearby so Link could see the Molduga swimming in the distance.

"Do you, uh, kill them?"

"It's not easy, but sometimes we send out parties to kill them for parts, yes," Zelda replied, watching in slight disgust as the beast flung itself in the air to eat an unlucky pair of passing birds.

"Can I fight it?"

She looked at him in shock.

"What? No."

He frowned to himself, clearly disappointed with her answer, and Zelda's mouth dropped open.

"I already thought you were dead once today, I don't need it twice!"

He looked like he wanted to argue, but stopped himself short. Zelda was grateful for it; he knew she'd lied about Mipha saying he could handle the desert. She didn't want to be called out on it.

"Well, the next time you send a party out to fight, send for me," he said resignedly, and Zelda rolled her eyes with an amused smile. He had surprised her already in more ways than one.

They headed back to the sand seal, and Link got them moving. Zelda once more hesitantly secured her arms around his chest.

"I might be wrong, but I thought we'd get along a little better, being the two who were… chosen," he said thoughtfully. "We didn't ask for this."

He looked at her then, but when he did so their faces were barely two inches apart, and Zelda immediately looked away. She couldn't help feeling a little bitter at the notion that the two of them would somehow just naturally understand each other. He didn't understand what it felt like to be such a failure like her, and she didn't understand what it would be like to be confident in her fate like he was.

She had nothing to say back to him, and now her mind was racing. She thought of Ganon - Darius - the one she used to know. The one she _thought_ she knew. Was he… chosen? Her and Link were reincarnates of two entities, but he… he was conscious of his purpose from a young age, and strong in his resolve to see his plan through. It seemed unfair that her and the Hylian should get such a late start.

But then, she reminded herself, he had not won yet. Ten-thousand years ago, he failed. If all went according to plan, he would fail again, but all that relied on now… was her _finally_ unlocking her sealing power. She knew that she was a bit of an outlier, being born Gerudo instead of Hylian as descendents of the Goddess tended to be. She didn't even worship Hylia as a Gerudo, although Urbosa had urged her to start in an effort to improve her chances. At the same time, Ganon had been born Gerudo instead of simply laying dormant as a massive, mindless beast like he apparently was so long ago… now he took a mortal form. Would that make him an easier opponent, or a smarter one?

Eventually, Gerudo town came into view in the distance, and Link broke the silence.

"I heard someone say… that you used to _know_ Ganon," he asked, sounding nervous about the question. Zelda sighed, shutting her eyes.

"Yes. He was born a rare Gerudo voe named Darius. We - I went out with him for a little," she admitted, but shuddered a moment later. "We drifted, of course. I spoke often of my training. Perhaps even then, he knew his destiny… but he did a good job hiding it from me, and everyone, until just a year ago."

Link was silent in response, and Zelda tried to take a look at his face, but his expression was unreadable. The revelation that she used to _date_ the man who was now trying to take over Hyrule was probably not a fun one. But whether or not Link would believe it, _Darius_ had been charming and friendly. Zelda once considered herself lucky to know him, saw a future with him. Knowing it had all been a lie hurt enough, not to mention then realising that her entire purpose was to try and destroy him - and him, her.

She watched the sun as it dipped below the highlands. Part of her wondered why she'd bothered to tell Link. Chances were he already wasn't impressed with the Princess who had yet to find her sealing power; he'd be even less so now, she was sure, knowing her history with their enemy.

"You think he's with the Yiga?" Link asked as the sand seal came to a slow stop outside the town gates.

"Mm, maybe," Zelda replied tiredly, rubbing her eyes as she finally let go of Link and stepped off the shield. With the day coming to an end and the temperature cooling, she'd begun to appreciate the warmth of Link's body. "We're sending in some recon soon."

"I'll go with them," Link offered, but Zelda shook her head.

"We need you here," she replied sternly, "so no more running off like this morning. You saw what that did to poor Mipha," Zelda added with a small laugh, though she regretted the words as soon as speaking them. Link looked at her like he wanted to say something, but stopped himself short.

"Thank you for the tour today, Princess," he said then, in a suddenly more formal tone than before. She looked at him in surprise, wishing the sun would set slower, wishing it wasn't becoming increasingly chilly outside.

"You're welcome," she replied simply, reminding herself suddenly of her role. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Zelda turned on her heels then, pretending not to hear the quiet "goodnight" that Link spoke after she'd left. She tucked her ponytail in over her shoulder, greeting the guards at the city gates briefly, and headed for the palace as night began to settle in above the desert.

That night, as she readied for bed, she found a note left on her pillow.

 _You have one month._


	3. Chapter 3

_What?_

Zelda's hand hesitated above the note briefly before finally picking it up. She glanced warily around her room for a moment, but saw no sign of any intrusion or anything else out of place. Her mind was racing. One month- _until what?_ Ganon's return? He didn't seem like the sort to leave any warnings. Was it just another empty threat from the Yiga clan?

She had no idea, and knew that the more she thought of it the less she'd be sure one way or another, so she left back downstairs, note in hand. If she woke Urbosa, she knew the Chieftain would worry too much, so she headed silently down the front steps instead, holding her night robes close as the cold desert air nipped at her skin.

As expected, Captain Torae was standing at the base of the stairs, and looked shocked to see Zelda approaching.

"Princess, you-"

"Ssh - please," Zelda urged, "I just wanted you to know. Someone left a note on my pillow. I was gone all day, so it could have happened anytime. I don't want Urbosa to worry about it now," she added quickly, seeing the dismay flash in Captain Torae's eyes. "There's no use both of us staying up all night. I'm going to go over some of the plans in the camp out front."

"I'll send extra guards to the front then, Princess."

"Just one," Zelda replied, shaking her head. "So it's not obvious to anyone watching. I'll be fine," she reaffirmed, smiling to the guard before walking through the silent town towards the front gates. The tent had a few lanterns lit within, and she felt quite cozy and safe once she was inside it, despite the note.

Zelda didn't remember falling asleep; she woke with her cheek resting against her arms, bent over the table and desert maps. She could hear voices, and she blinked her eyes open slowly through the sleep that had gathered in them, surprised to see two figures across from her - Revali and Link. They were silently looking over a map in front of them as well, and as she stirred, they noticed her movement. Both of them looked up at once.

"We wondered when you would wake up," Revali greeted her, and Zelda simply sat up straight and brought her robes closer around her as she did so. She looked to Link, who only met her gaze evenly, nodding once.

"Sav'otta," she greeted them tiredly. "I didn't expect to fall asleep here last night. Sorry."

"Was it because of this?"

Navy blue feathers slid a note across the table towards Zelda, and she looked at it in surprise to see the _You Have One Month_ note. Her hands fumbled with the map in front of her, and she lifted it to see the same note underneath; the one she had gotten.

She realised it at the same time Link spoke.

"We all got one."

Zelda's mouth dropped open a little; what did she do with that information? Had _one person_ managed to sneak in and deliver all of these notes without getting caught, or was it multiple? Why had they bothered to deliver one to all of them?

"Nothing more than empty threats," Revali said, standing suddenly and stretching his wings back behind him. "We shouldn't let it get to us. Some of your warriors are going in to spy on the Yiga today, if I remember correctly?"

The Rito's sharp green eyes flicked expectantly to Zelda then, and she nodded hastily, getting to her feet as well.

"Good. I say we wait to hear what they find, and continue training," Revali huffed.

"So the plan remains the same," she clarified, and the Rito and Link both nodded in response. Zelda folded her arms, trying to shake the fear that had suddenly planted itself in her mind. She knew the time was coming soon. Why was seeing it in writing so much scarier?

As the day progressed, and the sun neared its zenith, Zelda finally found herself outside Gerudo Town, under the shade of a massive tent, to practice using spears. Each of them were spending a little time with each other's weapons, just to be more versatile, and the first week would be Mipha. Thankfully, the Zora also knew how to heal, and assured them that if she accidentally hit any of them she would look after it immediately. Zelda wasn't fazed. Scrapes and bruises were a given in training.

Link, despite wearing his desert outfit, was already sweating; Revali looked a little uncomfortable maybe, but was otherwise holding himself together; Urbosa and Daruk were obviously in their element; and Mipha was doing surprisingly well despite the dry environment.

Each of them had a training spear to start - basically just long wooden sticks - and Mipha slowly and methodically walked them through the movements. Link seemed to be pretty well savvy with every weapon already, since apparently the royal guards were trained to be comfortable using anything. Revali was the most uncomfortable with the spear, but at least appreciated as an archer that he wasn't required to get too close.

"Let's try pairing off," Mipha finally suggested, once they'd gotten used to the basics. "I'll take Revali. Urbosa and Daruk - Link and Zelda," she said decidedly, and although Zelda nearly argued it, she realised there was no use. Those pair-ups made the most sense. She looked expectantly towards Link, who looked a little apprehensive, and seeing so caused a smile to pull at the corners of her lips.

"I've had plenty of training, so you'd better not go easy on me," she warned him, getting into the stance that Mipha had shown them. Link mirrored her, and as the others spaced out, the Gerudo and Hylian squared off.

Zelda lunged first, tired of waiting for him to make a move, and Link predicted and dodged it easily. He swung the spear around in a way she hadn't seen before, and swept at her ankles, taking her clean off her feet. She hit the sand flat on her back and was nearly winded. _Seriously?_

Link was above her immediately, offering her a hand up, but she ignored it and hopped back to her feet.

"Again," she said breathlessly, getting back into the position from before. Link reluctantly prepared, and this time Zelda made the same movement. Again, Link swung around, but this time she jumped, rolling forward to stab the spear towards him. He moved to dodge, but was just slightly too slow, and the spear hit his shoulder solidly.

She made the mistake of not following up.

Link fell, but as he fell, tossed his spear at her. It hit her in her shoulder, hard, and again she tumbled back into the sand. Both of them looked at each other from their spots on the ground. Link had a faint smile on his lips, and seeing it made Zelda feel even more angry.

Laughter broke the silence before she could say anything. Urbosa had Daruk wailing his arms at the end of her spear, and was focused on Link and Zelda at the moment.

"You two really are something else, you know that?" the chieftain said with a knowing smile, the sort that made Zelda feel like she was just a little girl again.

"Ngh- Lady Urbosa, please-"

Daruk suddenly clapped his arms together above his head, and the spear Urbosa had pointed at his chest ricocheted off, landing between Revali and Mipha, who both had the foresight to jump nimbly out of the way.

"That really is some power," Urbosa marveled, and Zelda and Link were only just dusting themselves off now after getting up from the sand. The Princess stared down at the ground, wiped a few errant tears away briefly, and then looked back towards the other Champions. It was hard enough losing any sort of a battle to Link, but to hear each of them talk about their special powers? _Really great._ She had nothing to show for herself. Even though she'd accepted that fact over and over again, it didn't make it any easier.

"Well… It's not lightning from my finger tips," Daruk replied sheepishly, and Urbosa smiled back at the Goron.

"You flatter me, Daruk. Anyways - how are you two doing?"

"Hero boy isn't letting the Princess have a hit in," Revali chirped up, with a noticeable hint of sarcasm in his voice. Even though Zelda may have agreed with him, she always felt like the Rito's tone was overly mean, and hated that it made her feel sympathetic towards Link as a result.

"It's fine," she blurted out, resting her spear into the sand. "It's good practice. Evidently I've still got a ways to go," she added, upset at her own tone and purposefully avoiding Urbosa's disappointed stare. The chieftain had taught her everything she knew - and she was considered a formidable fighter - but she wasn't used to facing such skilled opponents. Zelda couldn't help feeling bitter now, but was wishing it would fade.

"It's fine," she repeated, willing herself to calm down. "Shall we break for some water?"

"Water would be lovely," Mipha said softly, and Zelda smiled gratefully towards the Zora before glancing back at the Hylian volunteers.

"Could you please bring us the hydromelon lemonade I had stored inside?"

They looked surprised at first, at being suddenly put to work, but nodded and disappeared hastily. Zelda chatted with Mipha idly about spear technique, but became increasingly impatient for the lemonade when the Zora promptly changed the conversation topic to Link. _Why is it always about him?_

When the volunteers finally returned with the massive, ice-cold jugs already dripping from condensation, everyone lined up quickly to fill a cup. It was always strange feeling something cold going down, but Zelda savored it anyways, and as she downed her cup, didn't even notice that Link had slowly come closer and closer.

"I'm sorry," he suddenly said, and Zelda slowly looked up at him over the ridge of her cup. She raised her eyebrows expectantly - _for what?_ \- even though she'd been so obviously annoyed earlier.

"You told me not to go easy on you," he replied honestly, and she sighed then, drinking the last of what was in her glass and turning to him.

"And you didn't, so what are you apologizing for?"

She hated how irritable she felt. This was all her fault, not his, but he was driving her mental anyways and she couldn't seem to shake it. She looked away, unable to meet his eyes, knowing she was in the wrong. He had a look about him that seemed to cut through all the bullshit, and it was unnerving.

She swore he went a little harder on her for the rest of the day. He knocked her over time and time again, and not once did she hear another sorry, not once did he come and offer to help her up. She hated that he was responding exactly how she'd wanted him to before. But she knew that her own judgments about him were affecting her opinion. He couldn't win. She didn't trust him, didn't trust the sword, and hated that she couldn't have it that easy.

A few times she got the upper hand on him, and the success she felt from it was more than enough to make up for the dozens of times he knocked her over with ease. By the end of the day, both her and Link were covered in sand, sweat, and bruises.

"Your speed is a lot better now," Link observed as they put the training spears away- it was the first time he'd talked since their earlier break for lemonade. She looked sideways at him and pushed away a few strands of hair that had escaped her ponytail.

"Thank-you," she replied. Green eyes met blue, and she took a moment to stare at him as long as he allowed. She wasn't expecting him to meet her gaze so evenly, and finally she tore away.

"You're… really good," she admitted quietly, before taking off back across the tent. It was his _job_ to be good, sure, but just as much his as was hers; she was ashamed she'd lost so many times to him, but at least she had improved. Hopefully by the end of the spear days, she'd be even better, but now the training schedule had been pushed up. The " _You have one month_ " notice was weighing on everyones mind.

The sun beat down on her as soon as she left the tent. Away from the shade, the heat was oppressive, and sweat beaded on her forehead as she lifted her face towards the sky and shut her eyes. Still, something about feeling the warmth on her skin was refreshing. Training was exhausting, and now there was no cold breeze to greet her, no icy hydromelon lemonade left. She considered changing into her Hylian prayer dress - as much as she hated it - and sweating out the rest of the afternoon by the statue of Hylia, where no one would bug her. It was always covered in dust, though sometimes she wiped it clean, hoping that any little bit of servitude might suddenly change the minds of the powers that be.

But training had left her bitter and tired. She knew only one place to go that would help her cool off; and the bonus was, it was unlikely anyone would find her there.

Zelda didn't see Urbosa, Captain Torae, _or_ Rhiari on her way back to the palace, but was relieved by it. She changed into her swimming outfit - one of the only items she owned that was sapphire blue as opposed to the usual red - and then inched along the wall outside her room until she was almost right behind Gerudo Town.

Urbosa would call her an idiot for it. A stumble here would likely break her legs or if she was unlucky, her neck, but she'd been making the climb up ever since she was strong enough to do it. Water from deep underground wells came up out of the top of the palace and then was directed throughout town, but it also collected in a small shaded pool only a couple metres above her room. She could see town, but they couldn't see her.

Carefully she hoisted herself up the rock, her bare feet gripping on the usual stones, and then swung herself around to slip into the cool water. It was immediately refreshing, and Zelda sighed, sinking in to her shoulders and unable to resist smiling. _Much better._

She let her head fall back and soaked her hair briefly, and then leaned forward against the front edge of the rock, looking down into town. Now she could see Urbosa and Captain Torae talking; it was quite an animated conversation, but Zelda had no way of hearing what their words. She wondered how the recon mission was going. It was supposed to take about a week, but they said they would try and send hawks back with updates when they got the chance. Maybe the first one was late.

Again, she wondered about the note; last night she'd slept outside in the war tent, albeit accidentally, but now she wasn't sure how she'd get any sleep. They couldn't even up the frequency of patrols, since so many of their guards were out on various surveys and missions. Whoever had left it had obviously had no problem finding their way throughout Gerudo town and the tents, but they'd also not done anything harmful… in fact, having the warning was a little nice, but even then she didn't know whether they could trust it or not.

Zelda watched idly as Urbosa found her way back to the palace, and the town began to wind down for the day. It was about time to head in. She carefully found her way back down to the doorway of her room, swinging down into her bedroom, and was surprised to see Urbosa already there The chieftain looked at her bemusedly.

"Suntanning?"

"No, no- I was in just taking a dip in one of the canals," Zelda lied. Urbosa looked skeptical but shrugged.

"Mm. Well, we haven't had a hawk back from the reconnaissance team yet. I'm a little worried, so I'm sending Torae out to check on them tomorrow."

"You are?" Zelda couldn't hide her disappointment, and Urbosa tilted her head at her, arms folded.

" _Yes,_ I am. If whoever left that note had wanted to hurt you, they would have. We need to make sure those warriors are doing okay."

"I know," Zelda replied resignedly, standing above one of the small pools in her room and squeezing out excess water from her hair. "It's just a little scary."

"This day was bound to come," Urbosa reminded her, leaving back towards the doorway. "Do you want me to ask Mipha to help guard the palace?"

"No, I can't ask that of her," Zelda replied in protest. "I'll be fine."

"Alright. The other matter at hand is the divine beasts. I know you wanted to leave them to protect their own homes, but if we want to have any hope in defeating Ganon, we need all of them," she said. Zelda took a moment to think about it - Urbosa was right.

She nodded to Urbosa as the woman left, and then slumped down into bed. The sun was setting and she could feel her anxiety regarding the note creeping up on her. She wanted to go back down and study in the war tent again, even if it meant sleeping there; something about being close to Revali, Daruk, Link, and the other guards was reassuring. Even camping out in Vah Naboris might have been preferable, but… she had to be there for her people. There was no use hiding away now.

It was a restless and sleepless night anyways. Zelda found herself tossing and turning, checking the doorway every hour and peering warily around her room for any signs of intruders. When the sun finally woke her the next day, it felt like she hadn't gotten any sleep at all.


	4. Chapter 4

Early morning the next day, Zelda slept amidst vivid and strange dreams. She saw herself as a Hylian, trapped within the confines of Hyrule Castle; she saw Link, wearing green with a long red scarf, soaring above on some sort of scarlet bird with a massive beak. A monster threatened to swallow up the entirety of the kingdom, and it seemed futile, but the sword - the sword spoke to her.

 _Hylia._

The word was so loud, so clear, that Zelda awoke abruptly, sitting up in a cold sweat and looking around the room to see who had said it. The voice had been soft, but clear as a bell. She was about to sink back under the covers - it felt like she'd only gotten an hour or two of sleep - but Urbosa appeared in her doorway.

"Rise and shine. You ready?"

The following days were tiring. Zelda's spear-fighting skills improved exponentially, but she had yet to get a proper sleep, and her morning dreams became more and more ominous and vivid. She saw herself a hundred times over, she saw Link a hundred times over, she witnessed as Hyrule was swallowed by the sea, crushed by a falling moon, purged by flames spewed by guardians and corrupted dragons. She dreamt of Darius as well, more than she was comfortable with. When she brought it up to Urbosa, the woman mostly brushed it off as paranoia, but Zelda knew something strange was happening. Every time she saw Link with the sword, her eyes lingered on the blade. It called to her. _He_ called to her, though he seemed oblivious to this. She wanted to ask him whether he'd had any similar dreams, but…

"Princess."

"Mm?"

His voice shook her from her thoughts, and when she focused she saw Link standing ahead of her, looking concerned.

"You're - is something on your mind?"

"What?"

"You've been staring at him for almost a solid minute," Mipha explained softly, and Zelda blinked, looking around at the tent. The other Champions we're watching her worriedly. _When did I get here?_

The training spear dropped from her hands as she faltered, and Link stepped forward quickly to steady her. She could feel her vision blurring, and the voices around her were muffled and quiet, like they were trying to talk to her from twenty feet away. Slowly she was lowered to the sand.

"Sorry," she muttered, her eyes falling shut as someone pressed a cold towel to her forehead.

"The Princess has been tired all week," Daruk said suddenly, "and it's a hot one today."

"... she was complaining about some strange dreams," Urbosa said worriedly, and Zelda mumbled a little in agreement. "I didn't think much of it."

"Dreams?" Link interjected, and Zelda watched absently as Urbosa nodded back. The voe looked down at her then, a little closer than she would have usually been comfortable with, but at the moment she didn't care about much. She just wanted to _sleep._

"Can we take a trip to Kakariko?" Link asked then suddenly. "I know who we should talk to."

"Kakariko?" Urbosa replied, frowning a little. "That's a two day trip away, but…"

The chieftain trailed off, looking down at Zelda as well, and finally sighed. Zelda let out a breath of laughter. She felt almost drunk, but she knew that sigh.

"Thanks, Urbosa," Zelda said quietly, reaching for the champion and holding her arm. "I'll go."

"Don't think I'm letting you two run off alone," Urbosa retorted, but Zelda shook her head.

"You should stay. For the warriors. Please. For me," she urged, each word leaving her lips a little tougher to say than the last, and Urbosa looked increasingly frustrated.

"Then who's going with you?"

"No one else has to," Link insisted. "We need to talk to Impa. I ride fast. We can be back after two nights."

"Well thank Hylia that's settled," Revali said impatiently. Urbosa still looked upset, but Zelda smiled at her reassuringly. She didn't want anyone else to have to be dragged along, and Link… well, he seemed to know something she didn't. Although, she was sure she'd feel differently about a road-trip with him by the time she got her senses back.

"We'll leave now," Link decided suddenly, and as he shuffled to look back at Urbosa, Zelda realised that it was _his_ arms she felt around her, not Urbosa's. He was warm. She was _too_ warm. Her eyes fell shut as the group continued talking, and slowly but surely, their voices faded away.

She woke to the feeling of steady… galloping? Link's arms were still around her; she could feel her head resting back against his shoulder, and she wasn't sure if she'd _actually_ fallen asleep or just sort of… dazed… for the last hour or so. Either way, she felt much cooler now, and as her eyes fluttered open in the wind, she saw the fields of Hyrule stretched out in front of her.

"You awake?"

Link's right arm nudged sideways a bit, and she looked back a little in surprise. He was right behind her, his arms keeping her steady as he urged his horse to go faster. She hadn't realised it, but they were basically _flying._ She'd never gone this fast before on a sand seal and hadn't been on a horse in years. It was both exhilarating and terrifying to be moving so quickly.

"How long has it been?" she asked, trying to distract herself from how scared she was, and not wanting to admit it to Link.

"Most of the day," he replied, glancing up. Zelda followed his gaze briefly. Sure enough, the sun was setting behind Satori mountain in the distance.

"I can get us to Kakariko now, so we don't have to ride at all in the morning," Link suggested, "or we can stop at Dueling Peaks stable in about ten."

Zelda glanced downwards, feeling her stomach lurch at the sight of how fast the ground was moving beneath them.

"How long would it take to get to Kakariko?"

"An extra twenty," Link replied. "It's dark, but I know the route."

She was quiet. She couldn't decide. Part of her was embarrassed at the moment to be so close to him, but part of her didn't want to bother stopping at Dueling Peaks. She stalled, not decided yet.

"When did I agree to ride right next to you like this?" she asked, holding tight now to the saddle.

"When you passed out," Link replied dryly.

 _Right._

"Let's just get to Kakariko," she finally said, and immediately Link hit the reigns again, prompting her to reach up suddenly for his right forearm. It was too loud to talk with the wind rushing past them and the hooves now hitting the rocky riverbed beneath the Dueling Peaks, so Zelda didn't bother explaining herself; tomorrow she'd at least ask to ride on the back.

She watched the Ash swamp as it flew past them, though it was much darker now that the sun was setting, and soon it was hard for her to make out anything as they crossed a bridge and rode up through the mountains. Zelda leaned inadvertently a little backwards against Link, terrified of suddenly falling completely off the horse, but he'd bent his knees and dug in. When he leaned forward suddenly, she was about to ask him what he thought he was doing, but an arm reached past her to pat the neck of the horse affectionately.

"Good job," he said, his voice right in her ear as he spoke, breath warm on her neck. She shivered inadvertently. No wonder animals loved him - he was so good to them.

Finally, a red glow appeared around the bend, and Kakariko slowly came into view, lit by lanterns and fireflies. She'd seen it not too long ago, but had never seen it at night. _It's beautiful._

They dismounted at the edge of town, and only then did she realise how sore her butt was from the riding. At least the mountains were much cooler, though she found herself somewhat chilly as a result. She looked expectantly to Link, who was wearing his Champion's outfit now instead, a blue shirt and long pants. The shirt was almost big on him, and he looked quite a lot different than he did in the Gerudo outfit he'd had on the previous few days. If she didn't already know it, she wouldn't expect him to have much muscle or definition under there at all.

She realised then she was still wearing her clothes from training earlier, and they weren't doing much to keep her warm, but she tried to savor the cold instead. The mountain air was a refreshingly rare treat.

"We'll just stay in the inn and talk to Impa in the morning," Link said, leading the brown stallion into town as Zelda followed. "I don't want her thinking it's some sort of emergency."

"Alright," Zelda replied quietly, watching the fireflies scatter as they crossed a wooden bridge. The inn wouldn't have a big bed like she was used to, wouldn't have the privacy she was used to - especially with Link there - but she had a feeling she'd sleep better being away from home. Maybe a getaway was what she needed.

"Do you come here often?" she asked, seeing how he navigated his way through the village easily.

"Now and again," he replied, and Zelda watched him from behind as they walked, feeling like there was a little more there that he wasn't letting on.

The innkeeper was surprised but pleased to see two late-night travelers, and they were the only ones there. After Link chose the bed next to the door, Zelda picked one that was further into the building.

"Wait, Zelda-" Link stopped her as she was on her way, and she paused. "Is it… Sav'orr?"

The word sounded unfamiliar coming from his lips, and she almost didn't understand what he meant, but then realised what he was going for.

"Yes," she replied, smiling back at him. "Sav'orr."

"Sav'orr, then," he said, smiling a little back. She hadn't seen him smile at all until now, and her eyes lingered on him for a moment.

"Sav'orr," she replied again, nodding and then turning away. He'd clearly been getting some lessons from someone… probably Urbosa, but who knew. The Hylian had proven himself to be nothing if not resourceful.

Knowing she was far, _far_ from where Ganon was helped her settle into bed much easier than the prior nights. Also, knowing Link was nearby was strangely more comforting than she would have expected, but then again, he'd proven himself in combat to her over and over again already.

The sheets in the inn bed were clearly old, but were well looked after and clean. The quilt was soft and heavy, and she sunk into the well-used mattress and pillows comfortably after drawing the curtains closed around her. At first she stared up at the wooden ceiling and began to worry about the events of the next day. She thought of Link, and how he'd helped her and brought her here, but she'd yet to thank him. Before sleep finally came, one of her last coherent thoughts was, _why has he been so consistently nice to me after how I've treated him?_


	5. Chapter 5

As Kakariko woke the next morning, so did Zelda, pulled from her slumber by the sounds of carts rolling and dishes clattering and soft voices from outside. It was an incredibly nice and easy way of waking up, although she missed the sound of running water that her room had in Gerudo.

As she sat up rubbing her eyes, blood stains on her sleeves distracted her. _Oh for-_ she was wearing the same outfit as yesterday, and the shirt was a mess. She sighed, but as she pulled the curtains away, was surprised to see a bag sitting there next to her bed. She pulled it close and untied the top, and inside was a small selection of her own clothes, as well as her scimitar. Urbosa must have put it together for her before they'd left the day before. What she hadn't been expecting to find in it was her Hylian prayer dress - and a desert outfit. Nothing more for clothes. She couldn't very well wear the desert outfit in Kakariko - she'd want it for going back to town - so the prayer dress it was.

"Great," she muttered as she changed, slipping awkwardly into the delicate white fabric while trying to stay within the curtains of the bed at the same time. Her hair was at least manageable, thanks to the tight braid she'd had it in the day prior. Now that she took out the elastics and golden clips, it cascaded down in waves, and she smoothed out the top absently as she pushed back the curtains and left the inn.

Link's bed had already been cleaned up by the innkeepers, but it didn't take Zelda long to spot him outside by the cooking pot.

"Sav'ot-" the voe cut himself short as his eyes landed on her, and Zelda was confused at first, but remembered promptly what she was wearing. _ugh._

"Sav'otta," she replied firmly, pulling the dress forward as she took a seat on a log bench across from him. "I take it Urbosa packed my bag for the trip?"

"She did," Link replied. He had an omelette cooking in the pan ahead of him, sizzling over the fire pit.

"That looks delicious," Zelda said honestly, happy to change the subject and having just realized how hungry she was. "I didn't know you could cook like that."

"I hope it's good," Link replied, lifting the pan a moment later to flip the omelette onto a plate, "because this one's yours. It's hot," he warned, passing it to Zelda, who took it in surprise.

"Thanks," she said, taking a pair of utensils from him a moment later, resting the plate on her knees, and beginning to eat. She scarfed it back, careful not to let anything fall onto her dress, and her eyes fell shut at the first bite. It was just as tasty as it had looked. He'd put some meat into it, cheese, and peppers.

"It's really good," she admitted to Link, looking at him momentarily before eating the rest in silence as the blond leaned back and looked out at the village. Something about him made him easy company, though she wasn't sure what, and it inspired her to be a little easier going herself.

"Does Impa know we're here yet?" Zelda asked shortly after finishing the omelette.

"I asked her guard to let her know this morning. We're good to see her anytime now," Link replied, taking Zelda's plate back from her and giving it a quick wipe off before tucking it and the utensils back into a bag.

As they stood and readied themselves to see Impa, Link stopped at the bottom of the stairs. Zelda turned, looking back at him curiously.

"That - that dress looks nice on you," he said quietly, and for once, his blue eyes weren't looking straight at her. He seemed… almost nervous.

"It's not my favourite," she replied after savouring the rare compliment for a moment, and as she turned back around she was unable to resist smiling to herself. "But thank you."

Impa's house was dim compared to the bright and bustling Kakariko. The Sheikah sat atop a small pillar of pillows, surrounded by books, and turned towards Link and Zelda as they pushed the giant wooden doors open carefully.

"Ah, it's so good to see you two," the woman greeted them, moving long white hair out of her face. "Jun told me to expect you this morning. What brought you both here on such short notice?"

Link and Zelda exchanged glances, and so the Gerudo walked hesitantly forward. On one hand, she was happy to see the Sheikah leader again, but on the other, she was nervous to hear what she might think.

"I've been having - well first off, we found notes the other day on each of our pillows, warning us that we had one month left," Zelda began, figuring that some context was needed. Impa's brown eyes narrowed sharply.

"One month until…?"

"I'm assuming… until Ganon returns to conquer Hyrule," Zelda replied simply, and Impa nodded, gesturing for her to go on.

"So, I haven't been sleeping well since that, and then I started to have these… vivid dreams. I passed out yesterday because I was so tired, and so Link brought me to you."

"Smart man," Impa noted, grinning towards Link.

"Your dreams are likely trying to tell you something. Tell me dear, what did you see?"

Zelda paused before she began. It would be a little awkward to say she dreamt of Link, but there was no avoiding it.

"I saw… myself, first, trapped inside Hyrule Castle," she began, voice shaking a bit as she recalled how terrified she'd been in the dream. "And I saw Link, but it wasn't quite him, wearing a red scarf and flying on some sort of scarlet bird," she continued, sure she could feel his eyes on her. "I saw - I saw lots of Link. And myself."

Impa nodded solemnly, but clearly knew Zelda had more to share.

"There was - there was a beast, and it was going to just swallow up everything. And a flood - and a moon. And then the sword was… talking to me," she finished, wondering if she sounded simply like a lunatic.

"Mmm. Your dreams sound more like memories than something prophetic, but there could be a deeper meaning," Impa mused, standing from her nest of pillows. "I've read many a book on legends past, my dear. You and Link - your souls are intertwined, and have a history tens of thousands of years old," she continued. Zelda's mouth dropped open as the Sheikah strolled past her. _...intertwined?_

"It is said that an ancient voice resonates within the Master Sword," Impa continued, and Zelda turned to see her pause in front of Link. "May I?"

Link obliged, unsheathing the sword and holding it out for Impa. She only examined it briefly, and then waved for Zelda to come closer.

"We cannot wield it. But perhaps… place your hand upon it."

Zelda reached forward warily, touching her fingers to the blue hilt. All at once, Impa's house had disappeared. Images flashed through her mind one after the other. There were too many for her to even hope to remember, but she remembered the image of a spring in the moonlight, the temple of time - one not in ruins like on the plateau - and the sound of Link yelling out her name in desperation. Her heart jumped. A blue face lingered in her memory, and her hand dropped from the sword.

Both Link and Impa were staring at her with a mix of confusion and curiosity, and each with one arm around her to keep her steady. Zelda blinked through tears she didn't know were there. An inexplicable sadness tugged at her heart. She couldn't shake the feeling that she'd somehow forgotten someone important to her.

"Visions, I assume?" Impa said suddenly, watching Zelda curiously. She hastily wiped away the tears from her cheeks.

"Yes. A spring and a temple," she said, deciding to leave out the part about Link yelling for her.

"A spring? Tell me, have you traveled to the springs of Power, Wisdom, and Courage yet?" Impa asked, settling back into her pillows. Zelda nearly jumped as she heard Link sheathing the sword behind her.

"Yes, on a prayer trip not long ago that didn't help anything," she replied bitterly. Impa frowned.

"The Gerudo do not worship Hylia," Impa said, though it was something of a question, and Zelda nodded in response.

"We look up to the seven - well, eight, traditionally - heroines," she answered. "But I frequently make prayers to Hylia. Urbosa urged me to do so."

Impa nodded, but otherwise said nothing, and it was painfully silent for some time. When she did speak, the Princess looked up hopefully.

"Zelda. I fear the sword is trying to tell you that time is not on your side. You and Ganon being born Gerudo was not in the stars, you know. Let alone the Calamity opting for a human form... But it is sounding more and more likely that he is in possession of the triforce of power," Impa said.

"I mean - I know he has it, but didn't he already?"

"It is always within him, like wisdom is within you and courage in the Chosen Hero. But it often needs… a little something to wake it from its slumber," Impa explained, chuckling a little in spite of the heavy conversation.

"There will be no hope in defeating him unless you and Link can both activate your triforces. However, if that note was accurate… you do not have much time," she added, shaking her head. Zelda once again looked at Link, but his eyes were on Impa still. This was finally something that the two of them were on the same page with. She hated that she felt any relief at all in that fact.

"I do not know if I can provide any further help. But I implore you to take Link to the heroines, and for Link to take you back to the springs, if you can manage it," Impa said strongly, looking at each of them in turn. "Do not take this the wrong way. But the two of you being born so far apart is to Ganon's advantage. You must become more familiar with one another, more trusting. The Champions are a boon. But _you two-_ "

The Sheikah sat up abruptly from her pillows, pointing two fingers towards Link and Zelda.

"- _you two_ are the only real hope in defeating Ganon. You must be in harmony."

Impa's words hung heavy on Link and Zelda as they thanked her for her time, and left back down the wooden staircase into Kakariko. It was still early morning, and although Zelda wanted to stay and enjoy the village, they now had more on their to-do list.

"I can't shake the feeling that I should go back instead," she complained to Link as they walked back to the inn.

"Is it a gut feeling, or is it just guilt?"

The question gave her pause. She fell quiet as they entered the inn and Link asked the keeper for a map to borrow. As he studied it, she became a little lost in thought. He was right. It was strange not being with her people, but Impa really was the expert. As much as she wasn't happy for having to spend more time alone with Link, it was nice to be away from home. Sort of.

"The Spring of Power is just north of here," Link muttered to himself, pulling out some charcoal and making a line on the map. "Then wisdom on our way back. Courage in Faron last."

"You're… really going to come with me?" Zelda asked, almost disappointed. Her tone didn't go unnoticed by the knight, who frowned.

"Impa knows what she's talking about. We should give it a chance," he replied, and the way he looked at her, she knew there was no arguing it. "Plus, it's true, I- we barely know each other."

Zelda watched him then as he looked back down at the map. He'd wanted to say _I_ barely know you, she knew it, but then again she barely knew him either. Despite her impatience with the voe, she was curious, too. Especially after what Impa had said.

"How long will this trip take us?"

Link was quiet as he pondered it, and Zelda's stomach sank as she saw him count on his fingers.

"Let's say a week," he finally said, and glanced up at her.

"That gives us only two weeks left when we get back," she replied, feeling more and more disheartened. Link didn't say anything in return. There was no way around it. When would she _ever_ feel ready, realistically, to fight for her people and seal away some unknown horrible evil entity? No one knew better than Impa how to prepare for that.

"We have to send a hawk to Urbosa," she said then.

"They have some here in Kakariko."

"Fine," she replied impatiently, "there's really no shortcuts with this, are there?"

"No," Link said simply, looking back down at the map. "So let's go."

She took the back of the horse this time, her arms secured around Link as they left north for Akkala. Part of her regretted not being in the front again, as now she simply felt like if she let go of him, she'd fly straight off. At least he wasn't traveling at the same ridiculous speed as the day before.

Zelda had only seen Akkala once before, and they slowed as they reached the plains. It was late afternoon by the time they'd arrived, but at least the weather had held up; it was notoriously rainy in Akkala, apparently.

At first she wasn't sure where the spring could possibly be - she'd forgotten almost everything about it - but Link changed course suddenly to take them downhill into a rocky valley. When they stopped at a cliff face and Link dismounted, Zelda thought he must have been playing a trick on her.

"Here," he said, offering a hand to help her get down off the horse. She took it and slid off a little less gracefully than she would have liked, but Link only smiled a bit to himself and said nothing as he walked towards the cliff. She looked sideways at his horse, who sniffed her briefly with disinterest and then began grazing.

 _Strange animals._

"Here it is," Link called suddenly, and she jogged towards him to see the voe pulling away a curtain of vines to reveal a tunnel. Now she remembered.

"Right," she replied, "that's why I thought this one was underground or something."

"Maybe it once was," Link replied thoughtfully, following behind her as she ducked under the leaves and headed through the tunnel. It was cool and damp, and at the end, the spring opened up beyond pillars decorated with the Hylian Crest. Like the other springs, it was somewhat in disrepair, but still beautiful. Water poured in on the cliff walls above, creating a pool that surrounded a particularly tall statue of Hylia. The setting sun dyed the water a deep golden colour.

She supposed now, the prayer dress had come in handy.

Link stood to the side as she walked forward, stepping slowly into the cool water and approaching the statue. This corresponded to Gabon's triforce, but it was worth a shot, anyways.

"I come in prayer, to ask your assistance as the Goddess reincarnate," she began, "and as Princess of the Gerudo."

It was silent except for running water behind her. She felt like it was futile already, and hated knowing that Link was behind her, listening.

"Prayer will awaken my power to seal Ganon away," Zelda said, a little more firmly this time, as if _saying_ it would perhaps make it more likely to be true.

"Or so I've been told," she trailed off, falling quiet. Her hands fell to the side, hitting the water with a sort of finality. It didn't feel good, being stuck in the dress from a place that wasn't hers, standing in a pool of some water at a spring that was for her enemy's source of power - true power. What wisdom did she have to show for herself? Everything felt… wrong.

"I'm done," she said, turning on her heel and walking back through the water towards the landing. Link reached forward, but she ignored his hand and stepped up onto the stone.

"Already?"

"I think I'll have more luck at Mt. Lanayru," she replied simply, though she felt skeptical about even that. "I don't know. This just… this isn't me," she protested suddenly, tossing the white fabric of her dress briefly in frustration. "This was made for a Hylian Princess. The one that would have had her sealing power by now. The one that wouldn't be ruling her people already at such a young age. The one that would - that would _know_ her destiny, and that would know - that would know-" she cut herself off, searching Link's expression for anything to help her find the words.

"Me," Link replied carefully. "I want to know you, too."

She studied him for a moment, trying to judge the honesty of his words, but then again… he wasn't one to lie. In all honesty, she was glad to see _some_ sort of vulnerability from him. The only thing stopping her from believing him was wondering _why._ What about her was so intriguing to him? What did she have to offer him, anyways? Too many people got close to her purely to expect something in return, but Link so far hadn't given anything of the sort away. It was still a little too good to be true to trust him as a friend, so far.

Once they'd left the rocky spring valley, Link slowed his horse, and Zelda noticed them turning the opposite way she'd expected. She glanced back towards Eldin Volcano to make sure she hadn't just imagined it.

"We're going to get you a horse," Link said suddenly, and Zelda's mouth dropped open a little. She didn't want a horse. But she did want to ride separately from Link. Perhaps they could travel a little slower, then, and she wouldn't have to have her arms latched around the voe constantly.

"I can't bring it into the desert with me," she reminded him, but Link shrugged.

"I'll look after it for you."

Link was insistent, so Zelda fell quiet as they slowly approached a group of wild horses. One black, one brown, one brown speckled, and one white, grazed quietly together nearby. Link dismounted suddenly, helping Zelda down, and together they peeked out from behind his stallion.

"One of them catch your eye?" he whispered, and Zelda gave it some thought. None of them looked like they particularly wanted to _stop_ being wild, but she trusted Link and had seen him in action with animals already. His own horse had once been wild, but still seemed quite happy.

"The white one," she admitted. "So… how exactly do you do this?"

"It can be dangerous, so I'll get one for you and introduce you, ok?"

"Oh, alright," Zelda said, watching curiously as Link began to creep forward in the tall grass. The horses didn't notice him at all, but she was covering her eyes as he got closer. One kick from a horse could knock him right out. She gasped as the voe jumped atop the white one, steadily but slowly calming it down even as it desperately bucked and the other horses took off. For a moment she regretted it. There was no way the horse would warm to her.

Link rode it bare-back towards her - it looked disgruntled, but not completely wild like it had a moment ago, and as he slid off he took Zelda's hand in his.

"What are you-" she blushed, but he only lifted it slowly to the horse's face, resting it on the animal before letting go. Zelda blinked. The sand seals were so much smaller. This horse looked alright from a distance, but it was just as big as Link's, which now sniffed it absently from nearby.

"I'll help you on, and we'll take it to the stable nearby. They can get you a saddle. Don't be discouraged, it takes a bit for them to trust you," he reassured her, linking his hands out and holding them next to the horse for her.

Hesitantly she stepped on, pulling herself over the horse carefully and thanking the heroines that her prayer dress was long enough to bundle some of the fabric between her legs. Link got back onto his own horse, and she dug her heels in a little to the horse's sides, trying to urge it to follow him. It was clearly less than happy with the scenario, and more than once tried to turn a different way, but she did her best to calm it as they headed for the stable.

The workers there were kind enough to give her a locally-made saddle, which Link showed her how to put on the horse. She'd been asked to come up with a name, and although she didn't want to use Link's suggestion out of principal, as soon as he mentioned "Lilac" it seemed to fit the horse perfectly.

It wasn't as warm riding without Link, but it was a little easier, and he gave her a brief lesson that evening. It proved useful, as Lilac warmed to her quickly, but Zelda wasn't sure if the horse _actually_ liked her or just the carrots and apples she'd been giving her.

They decided to stay at the stable overnight and begin their trip - a long trip - to Mount Lanayru the next day.


	6. Chapter 6

Link woke Zelda far too early that morning. The sun had barely begun rising over the sea. She didn't want to get up, but at least the view was nice as they began their trip out of Akkala, and riding alone was nice, too. She felt like she got to see much more of the scenery this way, and found herself lost in the landscapes of Hyrule as they traveled back south.

It was hours and hours of riding. By the time lunch came around, they'd just barely made it near Hyrule Field. She could see Mount Lanayru towering in the distance, but there was no shortcut through Zora's domain to get there, so they had to take the long route. After passing Eagus bridge, Link suddenly headed through the trees off the trail, and Zelda followed him abruptly.

"Where are we...?"

"I'm starving," he answered, "and I haven't been here in a long time."

They stopped at the edge of a lake surrounded by trees. It was silent besides the wind rustling through the leaves, and Zelda had to admit it was quite a peaceful spot. She hopped off Lilac, already feeling much more comfortable with her, and gave the horse an appreciative pat on the neck.

"Good," Link said suddenly, smiling at her as he slid down from the top of his own horse. "You two are getting along."

Zelda smiled a little to herself, looking back to Lilac briefly before turning towards the lake. Link had already planted himself on the shore, pulling food out of his bag.

"Just a bite before we keep going."

"Do you think we can make Mt. Lanayru before nightfall?" Zelda asked, hesitantly taking a seat next to Link on the dirt path. She didn't care that much for the prayer dress, but still didn't want it to get too dirty.

"Maybe," Link said through a mouthful of bread as he handed her the other half of his sandwich. She ate it happily, having not realised until now just how hungry she was.

"So, you used to come here?" she asked once she was finished, glancing sideways at Link, who was staring thoughtfully out at the lake. His eyes reflected in the water and the sky; the truest blue she knew.

"When I was younger," he replied simply, and Zelda tilted her head, not quite satisfied with his answer.

"Why?"

"Just to get away."

"I heard you trained a lot from a young age," Zelda said, finally looking away from him and back out at the lake. "I did too. I wish I'd had a spot like this to run away to."

Now she could feel his eyes on her.

"The desert is a little short on lakes," she added with a weak laugh, "and everyone at Kara Kara Bazaar knew me. Thank the heroines for the little pool above my roo-"

She cut herself short. Her eyes were wide as she glanced back at Link, who grinned only a little and then laid back into the grass. Had he caught that?

"I wondered if you went up there."

 _Of course he did._

"I found it the other day. It's nice," he admitted, letting his eyes fall shut and resting his head back on his hands. Zelda's jaw dropped.

"Stay away from my secret spot!"

"No," he replied defiantly, peeking one eye open to look at her. "It's not really safe for you to climb up there, anyways."

"Then it's not safe for you either," she huffed, folding her arms. The Hylian only laughed, and Zelda was distracted fully from her frustration; it was the first time she'd heard him laugh. She almost said something, but then decided against it, figuring she'd let him enjoy the brief moment of reprieve. It didn't last long, and Link stood a few moments later, helping Zelda to her feet before they got back on their horses and took off again.

They passed back through Kakariko, and Link suggested they stay overnight at the inn again, but Zelda wanted to make a little more distance, and pushed on regardless. It was late at night by the time they were passing through the Lanayru gates, and she wondered when Link would finally stop her and tell her to camp for the night. In the meantime, she was continuing on pride alone.

Finally as they passed the western gate, the view of Mount Lanayru opened up ahead of them, lit by moonlight. But Zelda noticed, frustratingly, that the path was blocked by a massive boulder.

"Are you saying we can't take our horses up?" she complained, trying to ignore the irony of the situation. She hadn't wanted to ride horses at all a couple days ago.

"We have to climb by foot," Link replied, stifling a yawn. "Let's make up camp, okay?"

She wanted to argue and go further, but it was probably nearing midnight, and Link had already hopped off his horse to pull two sleeping bags off of his horse. He tossed them to the ground unceremoniously and then pulled out a small axe and set to work chopping down a tree nearby to get some firewood. For a moment she marveled at how outdoorsy he was; she'd be useless having to figure out a camp on her own, though she'd probably get by through stubbornness alone.

She finally slid down off of Lilac and started helping to set the sleeping bags up on either side of the fire pit as Link began to light it. When the flames finally began to kick up, she savored the warmth, having ignored how chilly she was until now.

"It's freezing up there," Link said, once they were both settled near the fire. "We should have gotten you some clothes in Kakariko. There's still time to go back," he added, looking at Zelda a little hopefully, but she wasn't budging.

"It's fine," she lied. "I'm used to the cold desert nights. And we'll be climbing."

The knight watched her then, his eyes glancing over the sheer fabric of the prayer dress. He looked unconvinced. Admittedly, so was Zelda, but she wanted to get the spring over with and get back home as fast as possible. The sleeping bag at least was warm, especially thanks to the fire Link had set, and she slept surprisingly well.

Morning came too fast. The fire had long gone out, and Zelda woke up quite cozy, but didn't want to leave her sleeping bag for the cold morning air. Link was already cleaning up their camp and packing, and offered her an apple as she reluctantly sat up and pulled herself out of the sleeping bag.

"Thanks," she replied, wishing she wasn't already cold. "How long will this take?"

"It's not bad. Maybe an hour to the top," Link guessed, tossing his own apple core to the side. He gave each horse a friendly pat before heading towards the large boulder that marked the beginning of the path up the mountain. Zelda rolled her own bag as he peered up towards the peak, and then gave Lilac a brief pat and a hug.

"Hopefully I won't be long," she said to the horse, which snuffled indifferently and began eating some nearby flowers. Maybe she didn't care, but at least Zelda could trust that the animal would still be there when they got back.

Link helped her climb up onto the snow-covered plateau, and already Zelda was colder than she was expecting, but she walked ahead quickly and tried to ignore it. Link was wearing a sweater and hood now, and had offered her his champions shirt before they set off, but she told him she didn't want it.

She was grateful at least that the path up was incredibly pretty. Sun filtered in through the trees and made the snow sparkle, a sight she hadn't seen since she was quite young. Birds sang as they passed, and pretty stone steps lined the cliff, showing them the way up.

Zelda stopped at one point and admired the view as they were halfway up. The sun had kept her warm somewhat, but now she was becoming increasingly cold. A sound from behind took her by surprise, and she saw Link lighting two torches - one for each of them. She took it gratefully and smiled, but said nothing as they continued their hike upwards.

Holding such a small flame was helpful, though it didn't keep her feet or legs warm at all, but she pushed through all the way until they finally reached the spring. Giant fluffy snowflakes had begun to fall, and occasionally the wind whipped up, howling through the tall pines that blanketed the mountain.

As Link waited, Zelda left the torch behind and stepped reluctantly into the frigid water surrounding the spring.

It was flat-out painful at first, but she pushed on, willing herself forwards to the statue of Hylia that looked down upon her. She clasped her hands together, shut her eyes, and waited. She waited, she pleaded, she prayed, she cursed the ice water around her calves, but nothing.

 _Why?_

This was _her_ shrine. This was _her_ piece of the triforce. Why was Hylia so deaf to her prayers? Perhaps it was her own fault for having any expectations at all, but part of her had assumed that the freezing mountaintop would be their last stop on the journey, that it would just work this time, but no.

She had been standing knee-deep in the freezing water for far too long. Link had called more than a few times now, telling her she should get out. By the time he finally walked in himself and dragged her out, she couldn't feel her feet at all, and was too weak to fight his grasp or argue. With a grunt, the Hylian lifted her, one hand under her legs and the other supporting her back.

"Zelda - for fuck's sake," Link cursed, and despite her shivering she relished hearing him swear for the first time. He sounded more human. But more importantly…

She looked up at him weakly. He carried her up back onto the stone platform and set her down, hastily taking out his blue Champion's shirt and pulling it down over her head. He pulled his hood off, too, and fastened it around her tightly.

"You called me Zelda," she said quietly, watching him as he tied the cloak closed together in front of her. He glanced up, however briefly, to meet her eyes.

"Should I go back to Princess?"

"No," she answered, a little faster than she would have liked. Link sniffed, pulling out some small tinder from his pack and more flint. Within a few minutes, he had a fire going.

She squinted at the bright light of the flames, waiting for the heat to bring back feeling in her legs, while Link sat down next to her. Right next to her. With his arm around her.

She inched sideways, looked at him somewhat incredulously, and he dropped his arms.

"Alright! Warm up on your own," Link sighed, reaching his own hands towards the fire instead. Zelda waited a few moments but then scooted back next to him, holding tight to the cloak. She pushed her shoulder into his, staring hard at the fire and fighting the embarrassed blush that stained her cheeks. She wanted to say thank-you, to say sorry, to say many things, but couldn't seem to swallow her pride well enough to do so.

Link waited a moment and then put one arm back around her, rubbing her arms quickly to help warm her up. She shivered. It was much nicer being close to him, but it also brought into stark contrast just how cold she was compared to the voe.

Silence fell for a while. Birds sang nearby. The sun passed its zenith, and came out from behind a cloud. She shut her eyes and tried to focus on the warmth of the rays, but it didn't feel like the same sun as in Gerudo.

Slowly, she started to warm up, and hadn't realised until then that she'd rested her head sideways on Link's shoulder. She wondered how much time had passed or if she'd even dozed off. He was still rubbing her arms, albeit slower than before.

She didn't know what to say now that she was more awake; somehow, leaving the spring felt like it would make her failure official.

"I'm sorry," Link said suddenly, his voice soft. Zelda kept her eyes on the flames and pulled the cloak a little tighter around herself. She knew what he was sorry for, even though it wasn't his fault. She hated to admit it, but there was something about him she understood. In some way or another, they were on the same wavelength, and she appreciated at least that he was sympathetic to her. Even if he was the last person in Hyrule she wanted to hear it from.

"Do you still want to go to the Spring of Courage?"

"Of course," she replied, looking at him firmly. Link looked concerned. She hated feeling weak, and pulled away from him, struggling to her feet. He stood after her, and she pulled the hood off, handing it back to him despite the cold air that immediately attacked her again.

"How long will it take us to get there?" she asked, trying to stop her teeth from chattering. Link glanced out into the distance.

"A day. We'll have to camp somewhere along the way."

The trip back down the mountain was thankfully much faster, and Zelda was incredibly happy to see the two horses waiting for them in the grass. It felt like it had been way longer than just a few hours. Before they left, she finally took Link's champion shirt off, and handed it back to him.

"You can keep wearing it if you want," he said, taking it back from her.

"I'm fine now," she replied with a smile. "It probably looked silly, anyways."

"It didn't," Link said quickly, looking off to the side when Zelda gave him a curious look. She let silence sit between them for a moment, and then hopped up onto Lilac.

"I'll take that as a compliment, I think," she decided, shooting Link a fleeting smile before hitting Lilac's reigns and urging the horse away. She felt somewhat revitalized now, hearing the _hey!_ from Link as he scrambled to get on his own horse. For a moment, she pretended she was alone, adventuring through Hyrule like a regular merchant or Hateno citizen. It didn't take long at all for Link to catch up, however, so her illusion was short-lived.

"It's in Faron, right?" she called to him over the wind as they rode through Lanayru's numerous outposts and gates.

"Past Lake Hylia," Link said back. Zelda grimaced a bit at that name but carried on as they passed Kakariko and then went back through the Dueling Peaks again. It felt like they'd taken that route countless times now, but finally as they turned east towards Lake Hylia, the scenery began to look a little different. They slowed as they reached East Post, a small but bustling settlement, and headed for the inn. It was only about 5pm, but after looking at the map, they realised it was no use to try to make it to the shrine before nightfall. There was nowhere close by to stay overnight, and it would be far too easy to get lost in the jungle in the dark.

Before Zelda got ready for bed, Link stopped by.

"Do you want to get something to eat?"

"Were you going to make something?"

"I thought I'd treat you to a dinner out. If - if you want," Link said. Zelda blinked. _Like a date?_ She was about to say no, but she was hungry - they'd barely been eating over the last couple days - and she hadn't been to an actual restaurant in forever.

"Alright," she agreed, wishing absently that her hair at least looked a little better. Link looked surprised that she'd actually said yes. "Where to?"

"A place down the road from here," he replied, and headed out of the inn as Zelda followed. The sun was beginning to set, and as people finished their work for the day, the streets of East Post became busier and busier. Many greeted them as they walked past, and she was surprised at how many recognized her and Link. The knight was kind to those who stopped to say hello, but also quiet, like he wasn't sure what to say.

The restaurant was nicer than she'd expected. It had tables outside overlooking the river, and Zelda couldn't help noticing that it was very romantic as well, with white tablecloths, a candle, and flowers at each table. Cool Safflina was in their vase, and she smiled when she recognized the flower.

"These are from Gerudo," she said to Link, touching the petals delicately. "If you ever get too hot, you can cook them into a dish or a drink, and it'll cool you down. Not as well as hydromelon lemonade, but still nice," she added, looking back up at him. He nodded intently, taking a close look at the flowers before turning his gaze out to the river. He was more comfortable with unspoken company than she was.

"Link, I owe you my gratitude," Zelda suddenly said, unable to handle the silence that hung between them and knowing she'd feel better when she got her guilt off her chest. "You've been really good to me. I'm sorry I'm… a little turbulent," she said, choosing her words carefully. Hard to handle? _Maybe._ Stubborn? _Yes._ Irritable? _Probably._ Link, meanwhile, was all steady and calm waters. He looked back at her, the faraway sunset reflecting in his eyes.

"So - thank you," she stammered, trying to keep her eyes on his but feeling increasingly nervous. He looked a little taken aback, but shook his head.

"It's okay," he replied. "Something tells me this trip is good. For - for us."

Now it was his turn to look nervous. Zelda felt inklings of warmth creep onto her cheeks, but tried her best to push them away. _Us?_ No, he must have just meant it in regards to what Impa had said, about them being in harmony. Surely. But then why did he look at her like… like that? Like she was the only one around? Like he could see her thoughts and feelings and insecurities? It was almost unnerving, but at the same time, she felt like she could get lost in his eyes if she let herself.

Their server arrived just on time, a young woman who filled their water glasses and made small talk. Zelda was about to be grateful that she didn't seem to know who they were, but suddenly -

"Is that the - master sword? Oh _Goddesses_ , Link?"

Zelda watched in amusement as Link smiled awkwardly back at the server and nodded.

"So then, it must be Zelda!" the server exclaimed, turning to the Gerudo and trying to stifle her excitement and keep her voice quiet at the same time, but it wasn't working well. Other tables were beginning to crane their necks.

"I'm honored," the server stammered, "is there anything I can do for you two? Oh - drinks on the house," she decided suddenly, and scampered off without a moment to lose. Link let out a sigh and rested his elbows against the table, rubbing his face.

"It's fine," Zelda said with a quiet laugh. "You're quite the celebrity, you know."

"I wish I wasn't," he muttered back, and then looked at Zelda in surprise at what he'd said. "What I mean is, I… I'm not used to attention like this."

"But your father is captain of the royal guard at the castle, is he not?" Zelda asked, tilting her head back. She knew that the politics and drama around Castle Town could be severe, and that family of important people tended to share in the spotlight. Link winced at the mention of him.

"You knew that? Well, yeah-" he paused, looking embarrassed. "I used to like the attention, until I picked up the sword."

The blond glanced down at the weapon that hung off the back of his chair.

"Everything was easier when I wasn't expected to - to save everyone," he explained, talking almost in a whisper so that no one around could hear them. Zelda leaned her forearms against the table, listening intently as he continued.

"There's so much pressure. I can't let them down. I can't let _you_ down," Link finished, lifting his gaze back to hers. She took a moment to let the pieces fall into place in her mind. He was starting to finally make sense.

The server returned hastily with a bottle of house wine and two glasses, pouring it for them and then taking their order as other tables tried to listen in.

"Boar for me."

"I'll try the venison," Zelda said, a little nervous, as she handed the menu back to the server, who complimented them on their choices and left once more. Link smiled at her from across the table.

"Have you had that before?"

"No," she admitted, "it's usually fish or bird back home. There's not much in terms of meat. Well, Molduga, but that's a rare specialty," she thought aloud.

"It's good. Well... cheers," Link said a moment later, lifting his wine glass towards Zelda. She responded in kind, but as they drank, couldn't help feeling like both of them knew these good times were short lived. They'd be back at work tomorrow, and the days were beginning to run out.


	7. Chapter 7

Maybe it was just the wine, but Zelda had slept strangely well that night, and had no nightmares for the first time in over a week. She met Link outside early that morning, and the two of them left for Faron Woods while the sun was still rising.

Guards waved them on as they passed through the Hylia Bridge, and they met a few travelers on their way to the Spring of Courage, which was useful since they needed a little extra help finding their way. They followed the river for a while, but then had to leave the horses behind and go on foot. The Spring of Courage was much more imposing than the other two, being hidden in the mouth of a massive statue of a stone dragon. As they approached, Link was more alert than usual.

"You can go first," Zelda offered, hanging back as they reached the stone platform. He'd been quiet all morning, and nodded back silently before rolling up his pants and stepping into the water towards the statue. She couldn't help watching him as he looked up at Hylia and then dipped his head. If he activated his own triforce here, she'd be happy for him no doubt, but couldn't help feeling like she'd also be incredibly envious. But the blond spent about five minutes standing in silence, and then turned, walking back to her and shaking his head.

"Nothing," he said, sitting with a groan on the stone platform. "Take your time."

She walked past him towards the statue, looking up at it and thinking less about her own goals, and more about Link. Impa's words had made her curious. The three of them were reincarnated with their triforces, over and over again, and his… was courage. He was an exceptional fighter, but she hadn't seen him do anything particularly courageous yet. She wasn't sure that she had done anything particularly wise in recent months, either. Perhaps it was Ganon's active seeking out of power that had brought him early success. What was she supposed to do? Read a bunch? Let Link fight a Molduga alone, like he wanted?

A few minutes in front of the statue was all she needed. She could tell that the goddesses weren't listening; Nayru, Din, Farore, _Hylia_ \- nothing.

When enough time had passed in silent, and probably useless prayer, she decided she was done. Perhaps the heroines would be more keen to listen to her pleas, but even that she was skeptical of. Zelda turned to see that Link had laid down on the stone platform, his shoes kicked off and legs dangling in the water. He swung his feet back and forth idly, the wind pushing tufts of blonde hair awry as it swept through the face of the dragon. He looked lost in thought, but comfortable.

She headed back to sit beside him and then laid back herself, resting her head on her hands and staring up at the overgrown canopy above. He seemed a little surprised that she'd joined him, but they stayed in the silence together for some time, listening to the birds and bugs and the leaves in the breeze.

"I couldn't wait to go back before," Zelda began, thinking aloud, "but now I don't want to."

"I know," Link replied, and Zelda glanced at him doubtfully.

"Do you?"

"I think so," he said, glancing sideways at her. "Going back means that it's all still real. It means telling everyone that we're not prepared."

Zelda's breath caught in her throat. She hadn't even been sure she knew why herself before, but Link had nailed it. He watched her, as if to make sure he'd gotten it right, and then turned to look back upwards.

"Neither of us are good with failure," he continued. "But we have to protect the ones we love. We don't have a choice."

"For someone that supposedly doesn't talk much, you're very good with words," Zelda observed. Link looked at her only briefly before sitting up and stretching his arms above his head.

"I can relate to you," he said, pulling his legs out of the water after and standing up. "More than before."

She watched upside down as he lifted the sword back up and over his shoulders.

"We should go."

Link left her in the spring alone to change out of her prayer dress. It was a relief to finally be in normal clothes again, clothes that suited her, and she felt somewhat renewed when they finally got back on their horses and headed out.

Their trip out of Faron was uneventful, and they rode in silence, chasing the sun back towards Gerudo. Zelda couldn't help noticing that Link was moving a little slower than usual.

 _So he really doesn't want to go back, either._

She wasn't excited either, to meet with the champions again and tell them what Impa had told them; how would she sum that up? _Hi Urbosa, Ganon is at a crazy advantage, neither of us have our triforces, and nothing happened at the springs._

Maybe Link would want to check out the heroines first. That at least might give them something, anything to work with, before they went back. And it meant extending the trip with just the two of them… if only briefly.

By the time they made it to Gerudo Stable, it was dinner time, but Zelda didn't want to stop. The heroines were only a ten minute walk away, and Link reluctantly agreed to go before they returned to the town. She was actually quite excited to show them off to Link, since the monuments were much, much larger than the statues of Hylia at each of the springs. But when the two of them finally climbed to the top of the nearby dune and got a look into the valley, they were in for a surprise.

At first, Zelda couldn't make sense of the sight that sat in front of her.

The seven heroines, towering over their valley, were absolutely, completely, fully surrounded by monsters of all sorts. As soon as Link came up from behind her, she threw her arm out to stop him going any further, and together they stared at the mass of creatures that were clearly making the valley their home.

Bokoblins socialised needlessly around campfires; Lizalfos squawked and screeched at each other as Moblins carried explosive barrels to and fro. In the middle, two Lynels patrolled in a wide, slow circle. Zelda's heart sank. What were they doing there? Was Ganon stopping her from seeing the heroines for a reason, or was this just a good spot for him to hide his lackeys?

"They're beautiful," Link said, and Zelda thought he must have been joking, but when she looked at him his eyes were up, higher than the monsters, scanning the heroines instead.

"Y-yeah, but Link… Ganon's clearly been stockpiling," she protested. "We can't go in there."

"We can, if you want to," Link replied evenly. "I can hit those explosives with a lit arrow. It should be a big enough explosion to wipe most of the monsters."

"Most of them - but there's those massive centaur things, and we'd need to get you close enough to fire," she argued.

"I've fought one of those before," he replied, eyeing them from afar. "I can do it again."

 _Are you kidding me?_ She didn't know what to say. His having fought one before was shock enough, but now there were two. Sure enough, the explosives would likely do a number on the monsters, but…

"Think of it as the training we missed over the last few days," Link said, turning to her with a little excitement in his eyes. "Can you trust me?"

She looked at him wordlessly at first. Was this what Impa wanted? Did she want Zelda to feel this way - to feel worried about him? To notice every slight change in his expression, to be curious about him, to rely on him?

"Alright," she replied warily, pulling out the scimitar from behind her back for the first time all trip. Link smiled and took the lead, heading quickly but carefully in towards the valley. They crouched as they got nearer - monsters had notoriously bad eyesight, but their hearing wasn't half bad - and soon enough they were hidden behind one of the heroines, directly across the valley from the well-guarded pile of explosives.

"When I fire, they'll probably see me," Link whispered to her, peering out momentarily from behind the heroine. "It'll be loud. Just stay down, okay?"

She nodded silently back to him, still wondering why she'd agreed to this, but knowing it was too late to back out now.

Link stood and pulled an arrow back after lighting it with a piece of flint; there was a yelp nearby as one of the Bokoblins noticed him, but even as it blew a horn to alert the others, the knight fired. The arrow hit a barrel right in the middle of the pile, and once it exploded, it set off a chain, each subsequent blast quicker, louder, and more forceful than the last.

Zelda crouched down and could feel Link crouch with her, one of his arms around her to hold her steady as a shockwave ripped through the valley. The sound ricocheted off the valley walls, clapping back and forth almost endlessly. She reached for the stone statue and held tight as her hair was tossed in the wind and sand whipped past her face. As soon as it fell quiet, both her and Link stood to see what the damage had been.

Bits of fire crackled here and there, though at least it couldn't spread far thanks to the sand. A vast majority of the monsters had fallen, including one of the Lynels - the one closest to the explosion - but one was still standing, and it spotted them almost immediately.

"You take the little ones," Link said, getting to his feet and helping Zelda up. "I'll handle him."

She didn't have time to argue. Everything was headed their way, and it was easily more than they'd bargained for. Link tossed her a wooden shield, which she caught deftly before turning and letting out a yell as she blocked the first attack from a bokoblin. There were only about 3 of them, one Moblin and a Lizalfos, but they surrounded her, and she knew she was in for a close fight. She couldn't watch as Link ran to face the Lynel, and it killed her to hear the occasional yell, the clash of sword on sword and the roaring from the horrifying monster. She had to block it out. _If I beat these, I can help him._

The bokoblins were dumb, at least, and when two came at her from opposite sides she rolled and let them collide with the others. A sword brushed her shoulder - how deep a cut it was, she didn't know - and she retaliated back with speed that Urbosa had taught her well. She was quick enough that the Moblin went down easily. The Lizalfos was fast, and hit her a number of times before she bested it.

Blood was dripping down Zelda's arm and both her legs by the time she'd finished, but at least it had been a quick dispatching.

"Run!"

She turned to look at Link, but saw only the Lynel. It towered over her and swung down with a massive hammer; she barely had time to throw herself out of the way, and landed hard in the sand, rolling sideways. When she looked back up at it, it was readying another blow, and all she could do was scramble desperately backwards, leaving her scimitar and shield behind.

When it began to swing down at her, she figured she was almost out of range, and at the very most it would only crush the bottom half of her body, though this wasn't a reassuring thought. She could see Link running towards her - no, sprinting - and he was almost there. In fact, he'd probably make it, but to what use? Was he just going to throw himself in front of her? _No, no-_

"Don't!" she screamed, eyes wide as the hammer swung down and Link swung back at it with the master sword. It was glowing a brilliant blue, and she knew a sword that size against a hammer so big would be useless, but-

The Lynel recoiled. The sword had countered the hammer backwards, and as Zelda stared up at Link in shock, a triangle of white light flickered on his hand. He yelled as he unleashed more than a few hits on the Lynel in return, and then moved to the side, drawing the creature away from Zelda. He hadn't seemed to even notice, but he'd done it. The triforce of Courage was awake.

Her jaw dropped. He'd thrown himself in front of her with absolutely no regard for his own safety. He'd gambled everything - for her.

 _...what?_

Despite this, he made a misstep, and the Lynel's hammer swung sideways, knocking into his stomach and sending Link flying back at one of the heroines. He hit the stone with a definite thud and landed at the base of its feet. Zelda gasped, covering her mouth as she realized the Lynel was still nearby.

The monster huffed, as if satisfied, even when Link groaned and stirred a little. Zelda's heart sank, but she scrambled to her feet, picking up her scimitar and running towards the Lynel. Realistically she wasn't sure if she even stood a chance against it. As it took a bow from its back and aimed at Link, she knew she had to help him - she knew she had to stop it, knew she had to do something, anything. _I can't lose him._

She yelled as she sank the scimitar into the Lynel's chest. It hadn't been watching, clearly, and hadn't been expecting the girl to do anything. It fired regardless, and both Zelda and the Lynel watched to see where the arrow flew. It ricocheted off the rock not a foot away from Link, and landed in his lap.

The monster roared in frustration, hitting Zelda away with its arm. She grunted as she hit the sand, having left the scimitar in, and watched, horrified, as it tried to approach her. Calamity and blood poured from its mouth and wounds, eyes glowing red in agony. Slowly but surely it fell, and as it reached for her, disappeared into a black and purple cloud of calamity. The hammer, scimitar, bow, and some arrows fell into the sand as Zelda tried to catch her breath.

Link struggled to lift his head. Zelda took one look at him and then got slowly to her feet, and as she limped to him, became increasingly aware of the multitude of injuries she'd gained. She'd have a bruise on her stomach. Her shoulder had a gash at the top. Each of her legs was scraped, and one of her ankles had been rolled or sprained, since each step felt like fire as she tried to walk to him, but she couldn't stop now.

Zelda fell to her knees right next to Link and tentatively reached forward. She pushed away blond hair that had fallen in front of his face, and he groaned, opening his eyes. The hammer, blunt as it was, had left a gash on his chest as well. Link slowly looked up at her.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I'll _be_ fine," she corrected herself quickly, seeing the doubt in his eyes.

"I should have done better," he said a moment later, still looking at her. "Zelda. I'm sorry."

"You did fine," she replied, and moved her hand to point downwards.

Link followed her gesture and looked down at his right hand, still gripping the hilt of the master sword, to see the little triangle flicker and then fade back away. His eyes were wide in surprise for only a moment, and then he grimaced, dropping the sword to clutch his chest.

"Let me see," Zelda said softly, reaching forward to pull his hand away. There wasn't much blood, but it was a relatively deep cut.

"Mipha can help you, and Gerudo isn't far away."

"What about the heroines?"

"What?"

Zelda looked back up at Link in surprise, still kneeling over him. She hadn't realized how close they were until now, but didn't really mind it, and found herself savouring the way he looked at her.

"You wanted to pray to them," Link replied, and though he tried to keep his cool, he was clearly becoming a little faint.

"That can wait. We got one triforce anyways," Zelda said with a weak smile, though Link frowned back.

"I'm not going back until you tell me about them."

Zelda's mouth dropped open, but Link looked firm in his resolve. She was about to argue, but it would probably take less time to fill him in, instead.

"Each represents a different virtue," she began, carefully turning and moving herself to sit beside him in order to rest her ankle. She pointed out each one in turn - skill, spirit, endurance, knowledge, flight, motion, and gentleness - as their shadows slowly moved around the valley with the setting sun. When she finally finished explaining everything to him, he let out a small sound of understanding, and then dropped his head sideways to her shoulder. Zelda glanced down in surprise, suddenly very still and not wanting to move.

"Sorry," he muttered, steadying himself on the rock between them.

"We need to get you help," Zelda complained, but Link only shook his head weakly in response.

"I can't show up like this."

" _I_ need help, then," she protested, her heart aching at the sight of him. "Please."

He stirred a little again, and finally nodded absently. She knew he didn't want the others to see him as if he'd failed, and the only way to get him to agree to go would be if she needed help, and it wasn't an outright lie anyways. She wanted to get bandaged up, but more than anything now, she wanted him to be healed.

She helped him up, and together they began to limp back towards Gerudo Town. There'd be no hope in catching a sand seal in this state, not to mention riding it, so it was a slow journey. At least the sun was setting, so the temperature was gradually cooling. It must have taken them close to an hour nonetheless, and Zelda's ankle was burning by the time Gerudo got closer.

"Thanks," Link said as they arrived, his voice catching her by surprise being so close to her ear. She only nodded back in response, her eyes set on Gerudo Town.

The guards were happy to see them at first, until they got a better look at the state of the two champions. Mipha was summoned as Link was laid down in his cot, and soon enough, everyone was ushered out of the tent so the Zora could get to work. Zelda had been dragged into town by Urbosa, even though she didn't want to leave Link's side, not for a second.

"You know we were worried _sick_ ," the chieftain said, bandaging up Zelda's ankles as she balanced precariously on her throne.

"Gone to Kakariko and back in two nights. It's been almost a week!" Urbosa snapped.

"No, we sent a hawk!" Zelda protested, wondering how they hadn't received it. "We did, I swear it by the heroines," she added when Urbosa looked up at her skeptically.

"The warriors hawks never arrived either," Urbosa said then, quieter now as she tied the bandage tight and Zelda winced. "I wonder what's going on there."

"You… haven't heard from them at all?" Zelda asked, worry plaguing her.

"No. Torae should have been back two days ago. We're going tomorrow, Revali and I," Urbosa added with a sigh.

"Let me come," Zelda pleaded, "and Link, if he's healed. He - Urbosa, he got his triforce," she added quickly, hoping the good news might mean her mentor would be more willing to let her come along. But Urbosa only looked confused.

"Triforce? Look little dove, there's clearly a lot you need to fill me in on. Mipha will be up later to get you healed. Let's go upstairs and you can give me the details before bed."

"Bed?" she replied, becoming increasingly confused.

"It's late, and you clearly need rest. Come on."

She let the chieftain lead her upstairs and washed up a bit on her own, all the while telling Urbosa about what Impa had said, and their trip up Mt. Lanayru, and her horse, and the monsters that had been by the heroines statues. Urbosa didn't have much to say in response, but was glad at least that Link had activated his triforce.

Mipha arrived shortly after, knocking quietly on the stone wall before stepping in to Zelda's room.

"How is he?" Zelda asked, and Urbosa looked at her in surprise.

"I didn't think you'd have cared much," she said coyly, noticing Zelda's obvious worry, but the Princess ignored it.

"Link will be just fine," Mipha answered slowly, looking at Zelda with a patient understanding. "He's healed. He should be back to normal by tomorrow morning. He's already asleep," she added with a small smile. Zelda was almost disappointed. She wanted to see him again.

"Thank you, Mipha," she said in reply, finally letting herself lay back into the sheets. The Zora shook her head as she took a seat next to the bed and began to carefully unwrap the bandages around Zelda's wounds.

"It's my pleasure," Mipha said with a smile, and Zelda felt herself drifting off to sleep as the healing began to work. Her tension was slowly relieving, and although she was glad to be back in her bed, some part of her was already missing the adventure she'd been on with Link. She slept solid that night, with no nightmares, no dreams at all, to speak of.


	8. Chapter 8

The next morning, Zelda was woken up by hushed but impassioned voices from downstairs. She stirred and groaned a little to herself, rolling in the blankets and wishing she could fall back asleep, but then she remembered - today they were going to Karusa Valley, to see what had happened with the other warriors.

Hurriedly she got dressed then, and stepped quickly but lightly down the stairs, to find Urbosa, Mipha, and one of the other guards in the middle of a discussion.

"Zelda - thank the heroines. You want to come today, correct?" Urbosa asked, and Zelda nodded fervently. Mipha, with her hands clutched together, seemed to deflate somewhat.

"I wanted both you and Link to rest today, to get better. But he wants to go, too. I don't know why you each have this notion that you need to be at the front lines all the time," she said, clearly upset.

"Because we _do_ have to be," Zelda replied honestly, though she was sympathetic to what Mipha had to say. "But we won't do anything crazy. I promise. Urbosa can go first," she said, joking somewhat as she smiled up at the chieftain, who laughed.

"That's usually how it goes, isn't it? Don't you worry, Mipha. We'll take good care of Zelda and her chosen hero," Urbosa said, and Mipha looked somewhat disappointed at those words, which Zelda didn't miss. She shot the Zora a reassuring look anyways, and then followed Urbosa and the other guard out of the palace.

"You're looking in much better spirits," Urbosa observed, casting a curious look sideways at Zelda as they walked through down. "It seems that trip did you well. Besides yesterday's monsters," she added with a laugh, and Zelda agreed silently.

"I feel a bit better now that Link has his triforce," she admitted, and for once the feeling wasn't coupled with shame at her own failures.

When they reached the tent outside, Revali and Link were already ready to go, dressed and chatting near the shrine. Link looked clearly distracted as Zelda approached, and she watched in amusement as Revali waved a feathered wing in front of his face.

"What is wrong with y- _ugh_ ," she heard Revali scoff, as the Rito noticed what Link had been looking at.

"I told Urbosa we didn't need the Princess to come along," Revali said stubbornly, folding his wings and looking at Zelda disapprovingly.

"You might not, but I'm coming anyways," she replied. "You look a lot better than yesterday," she said then, looking to Link with a smile. For the first time, she felt genuinely happy to see him. Revali and Urbosa exchanged glances over Zelda's head.

"So do you," Link replied, "I'm glad. I never said thanks for - for your saving me," he said then, causing Revali to look sharply sideways at him.

"You saved me first," Zelda protested, and Urbosa let out a groan.

"You two are adorable, but we need to get moving. Come on!"

The ride to Karusa valley was quick, especially compared to the recent trips Zelda had made. When they arrived in the valley an hour later, the tall highland cliff walls towered above them on either side and they slowed their speed. The sand seals could only take them so far, and Revali flew in for a landing once they'd reached the edge of the sand.

"It's strangely quiet," Urbosa mentioned as they began to slowly walk up and through the caverns. Now and again the wind swept through, and sand slowly spilled from the cliff sides above, but that was it. There were hardly even any animals or insects around - just a large number of frog statues.

Before long, a voice spoke to them, though it was impossible to tell from where.

 _"You're not on home turf. Turn back."_

"Bluff all you want," Urbosa called out, grinning to herself, "but we'll be continuing on."

 _"Then you have only yourself to blame!"_

In a flash, multiple yiga appeared around them, puffs of smoke announcing their arrival. There was a clatter of noise as each of the champions readied their weapons. Zelda ran towards a yiga nearby, scimitar at the ready, but an arrow pierced his mask clean in half and knocked the slim man away immediately. He disappeared promptly in a cloud of smoke, but the others weren't so lucky. As she looked around the small clearing, Link and Urbosa had stopped short of fighting their yigas as well, as Revali quickly dispatched a volley of arrows all within barely a second.

"Target practice," he smirked, putting his bow away a moment later and continuing to walk. Link and Zelda exchanged surprised glances. Perhaps the Rito did have a reason to be so cocky, after all.

"Let me get a couple hits in," Urbosa sighed as they continued, but Revali only laughed.

"If you can beat my speed, then by all means, go for it."

Zelda glanced up at Urbosa, who looked back at her with a smirk. The next clearing they found, more Yiga appeared, and Zelda simply lifted her hands to her ears and gestured for Link to do the same. The Hylian looked confused, but slowly put his sword away and did so.

Before Revali could get his arrows out, lightning cracked in the clearing, and each of the yiga fell immediately. Revali's beak dropped open and he slowly let go of the tension in his bow.

"Pfft," he scoffed, "that's basically cheating."

Urbosa only laughed in reply, and the group continued on, soon finding themselves in the heart of the Yiga base. Link suggested they bait them with bananas and sneak through, but Revali was too impatient, and itching for a fight. They decided to go in by force.

It had clearly caught the Yiga by surprise. Some of their bigger hitters were a challenge, but between the four of them they had no problems slowly but steadily making their way through the base and clearing it out. By the time they reached the back and found themselves outside again, they must have gone through two dozen Yiga - but now, surrounding the massive hole in the ground, another dozen appeared, and with them, their prisoners.

"Torae!" Urbosa called, and Zelda gasped, seeing the guard captain with her wrists tied and mouth gagged. The others were in the same boat, and the four Champions readied their weapons as the Yiga attacked.

It was many more at once this time, and proved more of a challenge. Zelda became increasingly frustrated at how close Revali and Link stuck by her; between the two of them covering either side, she barely got a hit in to any Yiga at all, but as a result they were both somewhat overwhelmed. An arrow pierced Revali's leg, and Link had been hit with an electrical arrow. The Hylian shuddered at first as it rocked through him, and dropped both his sword and shield as he hit the ground on all fours. The last Yiga left nimbly took hold of the sword and disappeared, but Urbosa seemed to know where he would land, and struck out with her shield as he teleported nearby.

He skidded in the sand towards the hole, but stopped just at the edge. He still had the sword, and seeing so seemed to give him pause. The man looked at the sword once, then back at Zelda and Link and the others, and then - in a moment that must have been slow-motion to everyone, and yet much too fast - threw it into the massive hole in the center of the valley.

Link sprinted from his spot on the ground, and would have probably tossed himself in after it if it wasn't for Urbosa suddenly intercepting and grasping his arm to stop him right at the ledge. Zelda's mind was racing as the Yiga disappeared - Revali was the only one that could go after the sword, but his pride would stop him from doing anything purely for Link's gain. There was only one thing to do.

She broke into a run.

"Princess?"

Revali's confused voice was already faraway by the time he spoke it. She wasn't paying attention to anything except the sword, and praying to the heroines and her ancestors that her plan would work. If her it failed, it didn't really matter. They needed the sword as much as they needed her. In fact, at the moment, they didn't need her. She had given them no reason to. Not yet.

She didn't look at Link and Urbosa as she flew past them, didn't hesitate before leaping into the hole and diving down towards the sword, which was still glinting in the sunlight as it fell.

" _ZELDA!_ "

She immediately remembered the vision from Impa's house. So this was it. Link's voice had more emotion in it than she ever figured he'd be capable of. He sounded hurt, and shocked, and panicked, but she didn't have time to think about it. Her eyes were watering, but she couldn't really tell if it was purely from the air rushing past her or actual tears - whatever it was, she wished it would stop, so she could keep a better eye on the master sword. The hole was getting darker the lower she went, but now and again the blade would catch on rays of light, and finally her outstretched hand caught onto the handle.

She clutched it towards herself - swore she heard some voice from it say _Thank-you_ \- and then found her descent suddenly slowing. Talons pierced hard into either side of her shoulders, and wings flapped desperately above her as Revali took a painful but sturdy hold on her.

"Have you _completely_ lost your mind?!"

The Rito grunted as he began flying back up, and Zelda shut her eyes and held tight to the sword as they suddenly spun quite quickly. Not a moment later, and Revali's signature updraft was rocketing them back towards the surface.

The two of them crashed into the sand near where Link and Urbosa were waiting. Both of them looked as if they wanted to hug her, but stopped themselves short, likely at seeing the look on her face. She wasn't sure what it was, really - a mix of relief and bitterness.

As she stood, she couldn't look Urbosa in the eye. She didn't know what she'd say or even look like. She wanted to apologize, but the words wouldn't come, not now.

Then she turned to Link, who reached forward hesitantly, and she thrust the sword into his grasp.

"There," she said decidedly, her voice already breaking on the words. "So we won't have _two_ useless Champions."

Zelda turned on her heel and begun walking back towards the Yiga camp. She barely registered the sound of the sword hitting the sand, but not a moment later Link caught up with her, his hand wrapping tightly around her wrist and pulling her back quite forcefully into a tight hold. He hugged her more tightly than she'd been hugged in - _wow, it's really been forever, hasn't it?_ \- and she struggled not to cry against his shirt as he did so. She wanted to tell him she hated him. She wanted to tell him she should have left his stupid sword in the hole, for all the good it was doing them now. But it wasn't the truth.

He held her tighter, his arms squeezing around her shoulders and his head dipping into her hair as she stifled back tears.

"I thought I-"

Link cut himself off, and she noticed that he was shaking slightly.

"I thought I'd lost you."

She blinked through her tears, her heart suddenly heavier than ever. She'd been frightened like that just yesterday with him and the Lynel, though not even as bad as it would have been to see him fling himself off a cliff like she had. _Does he really worry for me like I worry for him?_

"I'm sorry," she said, hoping he knew it wasn't just a sorry for scaring you, but a sorry for being such a mess all the time; a sorry for the way she'd mistreated him when he first arrived; a sorry for how she felt about him, but couldn't say. A wet feeling distracted her, though, and she pulled away slightly from his embrace as blood began to seep through her shirt from her shoulders. The cut from the Lynel had clearly been hit again, and it was searing with pain now that she realised.

"We'll get you to Mipha," Link said suddenly, and as he turned away she swore she saw him wipe tears from his face, but perhaps it had just been sweat. He lifted the sword back up from the ground, sheathed it on his back, and then spoke briefly to Urbosa and Revali. Zelda met the Rito's gaze briefly, but he looked away sharply, and she felt her stomach sink. _I owe him an apology._

It was a long and quiet trip back to Gerudo Town. The end of the day had been a bit of a mess, but she was otherwise happy with how things turned out, considering they found the missing Gerudo warriors and cleared the entire Yiga hideout. She knew they would be back, she knew there were other strongholds, and she knew Ganon was still closer than she liked, but it was still something.

Zelda found it hard to take her eyes off of Link the entire way home. He looked back at her from time to time, but she no longer had any qualms about occasionally meeting his gaze, and for once she didn't mind that he knew she was looking. It felt like they'd reached a turning point. Maybe not Link, but she had at least, and felt better about herself as a result. But now her heart was heavy when she thought of him; and she had no idea what he felt, if he felt anything, in return.

Thinking of that made a surprising warmth spread through her cheeks, and she shook those thoughts away and finally looked from Link, focusing hard on the quickly-approaching Gerudo town in the distance. _What am I thinking?_ Link wouldn't want anything to do with her, not… not in that way, surely. She'd be surprised if he didn't already have a girlfriend back home. Or Mipha, for that matter, though he seemed either completely oblivious to her feelings or simply didn't want to let her down. And now that she thought of it, he'd never mentioned anyone back home, and if he was seeing someone, the rumor mill would surely have spread that to Gerudo by now...

"Almost there," Urbosa called, "Revali! Take it easy tonight," she added, looking up to the Rito that had so far been flying quietly a ways above them. He gave a feathered thumbs-up, and then took off ahead of them, heading straight for the tents outside town. Zelda frowned. She'd give it a night, and then speak to him the next day.

As they got off the sand seals next to the town gate, Zelda glanced back to Link, who looked as if he wanted to talk to her, but Urbosa cut him off before he could begin.

"Go to bed, Link. It's been a long day and you could use the rest."

Urbosa looked at him sternly, and the voe looked just a little bit disappointed, but there was no arguing with the chieftain.

"Sav'orr," he said quietly in response.

"Sav'orr," Zelda and Urbosa replied in unison, and Link's gaze lingered on Zelda's before he finally turned away and disappeared into his tent.

"Can I ask what's going on there?" Urbosa spoke, turning on Zelda as soon as the Hylian was out of earshot. Zelda felt herself get red up to her ears.

"You may not," she replied, trying to hide her embarrassment, but there was nothing hidden from Urbosa. The woman tilted her head at Zelda, waiting for an answer she knew the Princess had no choice but to give.

"I just - he's been very good to me, and I shouldn't have been so hard on him before. It took me too long to realise it."

"Oh really? _That's_ the revelation you finally had today?"

Urbosa's voice was a little harder, a little more sarcastic than usual, and Zelda looked at her with an exasperated expression.

"You need to go easier on yourself too, little bird," Urbosa sighed, resting a hand on Zelda's shoulder. "It's scary. I know. But you should be accepting all the help you can get. So I'm actually quite glad to hear it."

Zelda was silent in response. She should be accepting all the help she could get? What did that say about her, and her own failures? Link had finally won her favor, but it wasn't because she wanted him to help her. She didn't want to have to ask anyone to get in harm's way for her, but she didn't have any power, any triforce to speak of.

The gold clips hanging off Urbosa's skirt _clinked_ together as she turned abruptly, suddenly smiling down at Zelda reassuringly.

"But you know what? We did some good work today! I'm proud of you."

Zelda could have cried at hearing those words, but she felt all cried out lately, and instead just smiled back at Urbosa. That's right - she didn't let the Yiga rid of the Master Sword. She led a team to rescue the Gerudo warriors that had gone missing. But as Urbosa left to check on Captain Torae and Rhiari's squads, and as Zelda found her way upstairs to get ready for bed, she couldn't shake the feeling that they were somehow… behind. That Ganon was still a step ahead.

Mipha met her again that night to heal her shoulders, and by the time she'd finished, it was already quite late at night. Zelda dozed for a while, not ever really falling asleep. At first, when she woke to the sound of footsteps in her bedroom, she thought she was having a nightmare. Her candle had burnt out long ago. She squinted towards her doorway, waiting for her eyes to adjust, when suddenly, whoever was in her room had jumped to her bed.

Hands pushed her down hard - legs pushed against hers - she tried to scream, but a hand covered her mouth and nose, and all the noise she tried to make went nowhere. Another hand quickly grasped her neck, so tight that Zelda felt her mind go fuzzy, but finally their grip loosened.

When her eyes had adjusted, she finally got a good look at who was above her, and again thought, this must be a dream. _I'm dreaming._


	9. Chapter 9

It was Darius - no - Ganon. His knees dug into her thighs, keeping her from moving; the hand on her face moved to just cover her mouth, and she breathed in desperately through her nose, though the air was restricted due to the hand on her neck. She struggled relentlessly anyways against his weight, fear seeping into her heart as the other Gerudo smirked down at her, his violet eyes narrowed. His burgundy hair was cut shorter than she remembered it, barely falling to his eyebrows, but otherwise he looked as familiar as before.

"I'm surprised you left the palace so unguarded. Are you that confident?"

Zelda struggled more, grunting against his hand. She was hardly registering his words. Her mind was racing, calculating the time that had passed. It hadn't been a month yet. She just wanted to _get out-_

"You're just as pretty as always," he whispered, interrupting her thoughts. "Are you sure you don't want to be my queen? You used to say you would."

She had no chance to respond, relying on just her nose for air, and finally stopped fighting his hold on her. His hand was gripping her neck firmly, and any excess movement was only obstructing her airways even more. Her chest heaved with each shallow breath as she fell still, her hands holding tight to his arm.

"I'm not going to hurt you tonight. So let's have a civil conversation, for… old time's sake," he whispered, slowly lifting his hand from her mouth. She considered screaming, but wanted to hear what he had to say, and believed that he wouldn't hurt her - would he? Not like this.

"That's more like it," Ganon hummed, using his free hand to pin down one of her wrists. "So, you take off to Kakariko, then come back and kill my monsters and get the triforce of courage - you must be feeling pretty good," he mused. "Then you decimate Karusa Valley. I heard what happened.. If only you knew how _utterly_ characteristic that was of you, to use the other Champions for your own gain."

He tilted his head at her, his eyebrows rising, no doubt noticing the confused expression on her face.

"Didn't you know? You have four Champions to protect you and keep you safe, and you don't even think twice before putting them at risk… classic."

"I know what you'll say. They _chose_ to offer their help," he said in a mocking tone, but his expression quickly soured. "Tell me, then, how could they refuse? Did that Rito today get a choice but to risk everything to save you? And-" he laughed- "don't get me started on your chosen hero. His entire purpose is to serve you. Hylia made well sure of that."

Zelda's mind was racing, and Ganon was drinking it all in, a grin pulling at the corners of his lips.

"That's right. You chose the best-looking blond you could find and decided to string his soul along for all of eternity," Ganon whispered. "It's your fault he's in this mess with you. So why don't you just hand him over to me, instead? We could end the cycle…"

She was speechless. And despite the reading she had done on the legends, despite what Impa had told her, she felt somehow like Ganon knew something she didn't. She couldn't think of what to say, until she remembered the one thing that had been bugging her over the last couple weeks.

"What's with the note?" Zelda blurted out as soon as she'd remembered, but Ganon looked confused.

"What note? Nevermind," he replied, obviously uninterested in what she had to say. "Now, this might be a little unorthodox. But I have an offer for you. Forgive my being so blunt, but without your sealing power or triforce, you have no hope in winning this battle."

Zelda couldn't hide the fear that flashed through her eyes. Ganon tilted his head at her with fake sympathy.

"Oh, don't tell me you still thought you could beat me without? Don't tell me you think that _Link_ will save everything? Ah wait, of course you do. How romantic and naive of you," he cooed, voice dripping with sarcasm. Then he laughed. Zelda tried to keep herself calm, but found it increasingly difficult.

"Give me the Hylian, and I'll spare the Gerudo people, including you and even Lady Urbosa," he said, and and Zelda's eyes widened. She began wondering why, but Ganon answered her question before she could ask.

"You are my people. I am your King, by right and by blood, just as much as you are their Princess. But you could be… Queen, instead…"

She immediately spat at his face without even thinking about it. Ganon blinked in shock, adjusting his hold on her wrists to just one hand and wiping his face in frustration.

"Perhaps I won't give you the choice," he snapped, and bent down suddenly on top of her, his lips brushing against her neck.

"It's been a while since I snuck into your room, hasn't it? So… nostalgic," he whispered, and she shivered at the feeling of his breath on her neck, fighting once more against his grip.

"Get _off-"_

Something went _woosh_ and Ganon reared back suddenly, letting out a yell in pain. Both he and Zelda looked to the side to see an arrow sticking into the back of his upper thigh. Link stood in the doorway, framed by moonlight, his eyes shining with anger that she'd never seen before. Zelda's heart soared. _Thank the heroines._

"You're interrupting us. Our fight doesn't take place here," Ganon hissed, but Link only readied another arrow in his bow.

"Then leave," the knight spat back, and Ganon responded with a laugh.

"I suppose there's no wooing this one anyways," he sighed, releasing his hold on Zelda. He stepped down from the bed then, staggering a bit on the leg that had been shot. Zelda curled over immediately, reaching desperately for the scimitar kept under her other pillow.

Link pulled back and fired as Ganon approached him, but the Gerudo dodged nimbly to the side, and Zelda stopped abruptly as the arrow flew directly past her, grazing her cheek before lodging itself in the headboard of her bed. A couple drops of blood trickled down her face, and she turned to stare at Link, who looked horrified and hastily dropped his bow in shock at what he'd done.

Ganon lunged at Link, who drew his sword swiftly and swung it upwards in response. The Gerudo staggered backwards, barely dodging, and Zelda finally located her scimitar. She leaped out of bed, holding the blade at the ready.

Link's eyes met hers, and he shook his head a little, which must not have gone unnoticed by Ganon.

"Oh? You don't think she can fight?" Ganon asked, glancing over his shoulder at Zelda.

He turned on her now, a hungry look in his eyes as he lunged at her. She lifted the blade, but Link had thrown himself around Ganon and once more swung the sword - now glowing a bright, distracting blue - towards the man. Ganon stopped hastily, but then disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Link must have realised where Ganon was going to be, because immediately he wheeled around, yelling " _Behind_!" and Zelda barely turned in time to slice the scimitar up wildly into the air. She was surprised to feel it meet resistance and see Ganon, suddenly behind her, her weapon cutting through his clothes and creating a long but shallow wound across his chest.

He grimaced and fell onto his back on the floor, glaring upwards at Zelda as she stood above him with the blade.

"Do it," he snapped, but she stopped. Something - something was wrong.

"I'm going to kill him anyways," Ganon spat, hatred dripping off his every word, "so you really should have taken me up on my offer. Then maybe you could be spared!"

Link let out a yell and swung his sword a moment later, but before it could hit the Gerudo man, he rolled sideways - and continued rolling, through one of the pools of water on the floor and finally straight out the doorway. Link ran after him, staring out and down the stairs, but Ganon had disappeared in another cloud of smoke.

The scimitar dropped from Zelda's hands, clattering to the floor as Link turned back to her. She couldn't make sense of her thoughts. _What just happened?_

"Are you okay?" Link asked immediately, his eyes glancing over her briefly in search of any sort of injury. "He was- he didn't do anything to you?"

He looked a little scared to hear her answer, but Zelda shook her head.

"No, he didn't. Just my wrists hurt a bit," she said, shivering. Link let out a small sigh in relief.

"I- I let him go, though," she suddenly stammered, barely noticing how Link reached a hand delicately to her cheek to look closer at the arrow cut. "I was ready, and I trained, and I couldn't - it was like -"

"Like it wasn't the right time," Link replied quietly, his gaze flicking up from her cheek to meet hers. She searched his eyes briefly, and saw herself in him staring back, scared, shaken, guilt-ridden.

She winced then as his thumb swept over her cheek gently, pulling at the skin a little.

"It's a deep but clean cut," he said, looking back to her scrape. "I'll clean it out for you."

"I can just do it," Zelda sighed, turning away.

"No," Link replied firmly, and she was surprised at his insistence. "It's my fault. Let me."

Zelda felt colour rush to her cheeks at seeing the look in his eyes, and silently resigned. She gestured to the bathroom and then sat herself on the edge of the bed, staring hard down at the floor while she listened to Link rummage around in the cupboards. She kept replaying that moment over and over. Ganon said their fight didn't take place here - so why show up at all? Did he really mean that offer? _How could he possibly expect me to accept it?_

Link returned promptly and sat beside her on the bed - warned her it might hurt a little - and then started to carefully clean the cut and blood around it. Zelda couldn't help but be surprised that he could be so gentle, although she winced when the cloth moved over the scrape.

"Sorry," Link said, his voice almost a whisper, and Zelda looked sideways at him.

"It's not your fault Ganon dodged," she observed, but Link shook his head.

"I can't make mistakes like that. I'm supposed to be - to be-"

He cut himself off, his hand hesitating just above her cheek. Something in her clicked in that moment, and she didn't have the time to sort through all of her thoughts and feelings, but somehow, the reasoning for his behavior to her made sense. He had been trying to prove himself to her from day one, not to show off, but just to fulfill his purpose. She more than trusted him now - how could she make him see that? Did she want him to know how she felt, really?

"... my chosen hero," she replied slowly, not able to meet his eyes.

He nodded, and wiped off the remainder of blood from her jawline. She shut her eyes briefly.

"But you were here," she said at the same time she realised it, looking back at him. "How did you know to be here?"

Link looked back at her, searching her expression as if trying to find an opening in it to escape the question, but Zelda was too curious to let him get away without an answer.

"When we were away, you were always close by," he began, glancing away. "I didn't have to worry about keeping you safe if anything happened. But here, knowing you were far away and without even a door…" he trailed off, resting his hands on his knees briefly. "I couldn't stand it if someone came after you. Not that I expected it to be Ganon," he admitted.

Zelda took a moment to consider what he'd said. She wished she could say that she had it covered, and the Gerudo guards were more than enough to keep her safe, but clearly that was wrong. Not to mention that Link's being worried about her had been a success. She shuddered to think of what Ganon might have done if Link hadn't shown up.

"I'm not the Hylian Princess I was meant to be," she said, turning from him to follow his gaze out the doorway. Urbosa had told her over and over that it didn't matter; that the blood of the Goddess still ran in her veins. All it did was make her feel more guilty for not worshipping Hylia as she ought to. If she was Hylia reincarnate anyways, wouldn't that just be awfully narcissistic?

"It wasn't supposed to be like this."

When she looked back at him, Link met her gaze evenly.

"We're here now, right?"

It wasn't the uplifting sentiment she was looking for, but there was comfort in the numbing sensation it brought on. He was right. All they could do was make the best of the cards they'd been dealt. That notion, and something about him - something about the way he understood her, the way he spoke, the way he made her feel safe, something about his striking blue eyes and messy hair, emboldened her in that moment. She moved before she had time to stop herself.

Zelda lifted a hand to Link's shoulder and then moved up to him, pressing her lips softly to his. It seemed like an easier way of saying thank-you than using words, and the best way of conveying all of the other feelings he inspired within her.

Link was obviously shocked, since when Zelda pulled away, his eyes fluttered open wide and he was silent.

"Am I that bad of a kisser?" Zelda asked, laughing in spite of herself and wishing she could just erase the last twenty seconds and re-do them. But when she looked back up to Link, he dropped the washcloth to the floor and returned the favor - and then some.

"Mm-"

He kissed her with more passion than she was expecting. Link found her hands in each of his, interlacing their fingers and pushing forward, softly then firmly, until they fell back against the sheets with him above her.

Their lips parted inadvertently, and as Zelda looked up at him, he looked back at her in a sort of entranced surprise. She couldn't take her eyes away from his. She didn't want to let go of his hands. She wanted him closer, down against her, keeping her safe, distracted, happy.

"Zelda-"

Link looked apprehensive, but was making no moves to leave.

"Just… kiss me," she said quietly, nervous but hoping he would oblige. He studied her for a moment as if searching to see if she really meant it. Zelda was lost in the blue of his eyes, and when he finally did lean down to press his lips back to hers, sky blue swirled awash in her mind's eye like they were kissing colours.

Link took her hand back in his and pushed it gently down to the bed. He pressed himself entirely onto her, and she felt like her entire body had lit aflame at the sensation of having him, strong and warm and wanting her. She pulled at his lips a little between kisses, eliciting unexpected moans from Link, which caught her off guard and made her knees feel weak. All of her fears from Ganon had disappeared. At least for now.

When Link finally pulled from her lips, he kept his forehead resting on hers, and all she could feel was his body pressed to hers and all she could taste was him and the heavy breaths that hung between their lips. It was strange, being with another voe, but something about this was already so much warmer and comfier than it had ever felt with Darius. She'd been lovestruck, then, but this… felt like something more.

Link's eyes fell shut and he lowered himself carefully downwards, pressing his face into the crook of her neck. He was incredibly warm, but the desert air kept the room cool otherwise. Zelda lifted a hand to play idly with his hair, pulling her fingers through it as she stared up at the ceiling. It was easier not to talk in the moment. Despite everything that had happened tonight - no, considering everything that had happened tonight - she was grateful for having him there. In truth, she felt incredibly safe and comfortable, more than she ever had before. She just didn't know how to admit it to herself.

Not long later, Link's fingers twitched on her arm, and she realised how heavy his breathing was. He must have fallen asleep. Part of her wanted to move and give him more space, but her eyelids were becoming increasingly heavy. When she reluctantly let them fall shut, she fell straight asleep herself.


	10. Chapter 10

[ nsfw at the end of this one, please be aware! ]

Morning came slow the next day. Zelda woke briefly when the sky was just beginning to change colours, and she shifted a little, surprised to feel a weight holding the blankets back as she tugged at them. When she glanced sideways, seeing Link next to her was a minor shock, until the events of the night before came flooding back. She turned towards him, studying his face for a while, his jawline, the faint freckles that spotted his cheekbones, his lips (that had been kissing hers so passionately just hours ago), his long lashes.

 _Him._

She wanted to just lay there and forget about everything else. It would have been easy to fall back asleep. But they both had things to do, and if she didn't get up soon, there was a chance Urbosa would find them like this. So she leaned forward a bit, unable to resist, and planted a light kiss on his cheek. Link groaned a little, waking up slowly; when he did finally focus on her, his eyes widened.

"I'm sorry-"

He blurted the words out, and began to move away, but Zelda let out a light laugh and pulled his shoulder back softly.

"Link. It's okay."

He looked at her warily, like he doubted her words, but after a moment seemed to accept it. He propped himself up on one elbow, tilting his head at her.

"Did we-?"

"You don't remember?" Zelda asked, raising her eyebrows expectantly. Link rubbed sleep from his eyes, furrowing his brow.

"Just - just kissing, right?"

Zelda stifled a snort at the back of her throat, and then nearly choked on it at the notion of doing anything _more_ intimate with him. She did her best to stifle the heat that rose to her face.

"Yes," she replied, and Link then looked back down at her, his eyes flicking briefly but noticeably to her lips. "It was nice," she clarified, and the blond them seemed to let go of some tension in his shoulders.

"It was," he agreed. He was looking at her in a way she'd never seen before; and she felt like maybe she was seeing him in a completely new light, too.

"I'm sorry though that I- that I passed out on you," he said quickly, and Zelda shook her head in response.

"It's okay. I passed out, too," she said, having not really realised it until now herself. "But Link, you should probably go before Urbosa comes up and finds you. Make sure no one sees you," she added. She didn't really want him to leave, but it was unavoidable at this point.

"Oh. Yeah. I'll see you for training later, then?"

He got up out of bed, and Zelda missed his warmth immediately, watching as he headed for the doorway but then paused. He looked reluctant to leave, and looked back at her over his shoulder. She didn't blame him. She had questions now, too. The same as him, likely: what were they now? Did this change anything?

 _Of course it changes things._ She smiled a little at him, and hoped that it came across as reassuring as she meant it. He flashed a faint smile back and then ducked out the window into the morning light.

She wanted it to change things. She wanted him back already.

When Zelda finally made it outside town for bow and arrow training, she found it difficult to take her eyes off of Link, and too often she noticed that he'd already been looking at her. Perhaps this hadn't gone unseen by Urbosa, who paired them up differently this time - Link with Mipha, and Zelda with Revali.

Zelda tried not to be visibly disappointed. At least it meant she could talk things through with Revali - but as she squared off against him, and saw him take his stance, it didn't seem like the Rito was ready to talk. Not to mention, the bow was his forte.

He let loose a volley almost immediately, and Zelda threw herself at the ground as they landed around her.

" _Hey_!"

Link called out immediately in protest; Zelda tried to move, but found her sleeves had been pinned to the sand. Each arrow had gone nearly all the way down into the ground, but at least the sand made them relatively easy to remove with a good tug.

By the time she had herself freed, Link and Revali were already face to face, though the latter was a good foot taller.

"What?"

"What was that? Give her a break," Link replied, and Zelda tried to hide her amused smile. Link was never as emotive as he was when he faced off with Revali.

"Knowing how to evade is number one," Revali retorted, "then maybe she can think about firing back."

"You injured her enough yesterday already," Link snapped back, and it seemed to strike a chord with the Rito. Zelda looked briefly towards Urbosa and Daruk, both of them shrugging back at her in response. Maybe it was best to not get involved.

"I saved her _life_ ," Revali snapped back, stepping abruptly towards Link, but the voe didn't falter. His face was inches away from the Rito's beak.

"I'm not going to hit her with my arrows. You want to test my accuracy? Try me," Revali hissed, eyes narrowed sharply at Link, who still looked upset but had nothing more to say back to him. He knew full well that no one could beat Revali at his own game.

"Link - sarqso, it's okay," Zelda interrupted them, shooting a grateful glance towards the Hylian. "Revali, before we train, can I just talk to you a little?"

She gave the Rito a long and hard look; one she knew he wouldn't be able to say no to, and one she'd learnt from Urbosa; and although he was indifferent at first, his feathers finally ruffled and settled.

"... so be it," he sighed.

The two of them left to Revali and Link's tent, and sat across from each other on the single cots. Zelda suddenly felt quite guilty that these were the beds they'd been given. She nearly blushed when she remembered that Link hadn't been in his last night - would Revali notice if he went missing too often?

"Yesterday."

The Rito spoke bluntly, and Zelda pushed away her other thoughts, focusing back towards Revali.

"I'm incredibly sorry for my recklessness," she said immediately, staring hard at Revali and hoping her sincerity came through. "I-"

"You knew I didn't care about the sword, but would save you," Revali answered for her, rolling his eyes sideways. "You weren't wrong."

"That doesn't make it the right thing to do," she argued, but as usual the Rito had to have the last word.

"It doesn't matter now. It happened. You're okay, and hero has his sword back. So let's drop it."

He spoke with a finality that Zelda knew there was no use pushing. In time, she hoped, things would improve between them once more. Then again, Revali had always been a little… abrasive.

"That doesn't mean I'm going to suddenly go easy on you with archery training," he snapped suddenly, surprising Zelda as she stood from Link's cot. She looked back to Revali only to see him smirk a little.

"Rest assured, you have the best teacher Rito Village has to offer. Let's get to it, then!"

He was out of the tent quickly then, strutting as if nothing had happened, and Zelda followed him with an amused smile.

Revali hadn't lied - he didn't go easy on her even a little bit, and had her running to and from all day, but it at least took her mind off Link a little. He and Mipha were training together and were taking things much slower, but Zelda was happy to not have to interact much with Mipha, since looking her in the eyes after making out with her crush would be a little... awkward.

At the very least, Zelda's evasive skills were much better by the end of the day, and even her aim had improved. By dinner time however, she was falling asleep at the table, and excused herself early to go to bed. As soon as she did so, she realized she hadn't gotten a chance to talk to Link at all one on one that day.

 _Shit._ She wanted him to come to her room again, but had no way of saying so with everyone sitting around the dining table as they were, so all she could do was linger her eyes on his before leaving.

She'd settled into bed and just about given up on Link arriving when she saw a figure duck in through the window. For the briefest moment she panicked, remembering how Ganon had come in the other night, but Link's hood fell to reveal his blond hair and striking blue eyes.

She got out of bed immediately to go greet him.

"Link-"

He'd already taken his hood off, and quickly the two of them closed the distance between each other, immediately meeting in an embrace.

"You came," Zelda said with a smile, her voice muffled by his shirt. One of Link's hands rubbed up and down her back.

"I wasn't sure you wanted me to come," he admitted, and Zelda pulled back slightly to look at him in surprise.

"I did," she clarified. "I - Link, you-"

She tripped over her words, but Link only reached up to lift her chin slightly, and lowered his lips passionately to hers. It was a short but sweet kiss before he pulled away; already she felt breathless. He seemed to want to kiss her again, but stopped himself.

"Can we… talk?"

While Zelda appreciated the idea of just kissing until they fell asleep, she knew that there was a little too much unsaid between them after last night, and she agreed with a nod. Link stripped to just his briefs before getting into bed, which surprised her at first, and he must have noticed.

"I can leave the clothes on, if you want," he offered, but she shook her head.

"No, it's… okay. You look good," she admitted quietly, and Link blushed a bit before turning quickly to get under the blankets. She followed suit, hugging the sheets up to her chest and propping herself up on a pillow.

"Do you… want to come every night?" she asked, setting herself up for disappointment. Link reached forward, and at first she jolted a bit in surprise, but he waited a moment and then simply pushed some of her red hair behind her ear.

"Yeah."

She smiled, but it faded from her lips as she looked at him.

"I'm sorry," she said suddenly, hating how often she'd used those words. "About how - about what I said with the sword. And for how I didn't trust you when you first got here. And for making you worry, when I jumped that day," she said, a little too quickly, but she had to get it out somehow. Link's hand fell slightly from where he'd pushed her hair back, resting on her hand instead, his fingers stroking hers slowly.

"It's okay."

"It really isn't," she argued a little, not willing to let herself off this easily. "When I saw you that day with the Lynel and it had sort of… tossed you aside, I was so worried, Link. I hadn't come to terms yet with how I feel about you."

"How you… feel about me?" he asked, and Zelda took a breath. The blond's eyes were steady on hers. It was nerve-wracking having to sort her thoughts while he looked at her like that.

"Suffice to say I have some trust issues thanks to my ex," she began, smiling a little and letting the humor distract her from the heaviness of the conversation. "Link, you know when people… talk a lot of talk about something, and really set your expectations high, and you end up distrusting as a result?" she asked, and he only raised his eyebrows and tilted his head at her.

"All too well," he replied, jerking his head sideways then in the direction of the master sword which hung on the baseboard of the bed, and she laughed at how deadpan he'd been. He smiled a little.

"Well, that… was how I felt about you when you first arrived. Especially in _that_ outfit," she reminded him, and Link couldn't hide the disappointment on his face.

"I was so insecure about my role as Princess, Link. I still am. You had your sword, and then you snuck in here and broke our rules - no, I know I didn't give you any choice," she laughed, remembering how she'd refused to go outside to meet him that day due to being 'too busy.'

"But you've… you won me over," she admitted then, smiling back up at him. She still wasn't sure what to say, exactly, wasn't sure exactly what she felt about him, just that she wanted him close, and loved his face and his lips and his arms and everything -

 _Wait, love?_

"I liked you right away," Link admitted, and Zelda raised her eyebrows at him.

"Oh? Do tell," she replied with a coy smile, not expecting him to actually answer.

"You're a passionate leader," he began, "and humorous, but not in an obvious way. You're responsible. You don't run away from things. You're strong, and optimistic, and clever," he said quietly, reaching forwards to cup the side of her face. "And beautiful."

A hotter blush than ever filled her cheeks, and she dipped her face into his hand, but he pulled her forward gently for a kiss instead. Zelda reached for him, surprised at first to feel his bare skin. She took the opportunity to feel his shoulders and arms, his chest, his abdomen. She wasn't sure where she was going with it, really, or what Link wanted in the moment, but she knew that every time he touched her it was like fire, and every time their lips parted only slightly she wanted more.

Link's breath hitched when her fingers found his waistband. The voe pushed back a little, and looked at her nervously.

"We don't have to," he said quietly, but Zelda shook her head back at him.

"I want to," she replied earnestly, "...do you?"

Link watched her the way he always did, but then reached forward again to bring her in for a kiss, more passionate this time, as Zelda untied his waistband. The two of them impatiently kicked the blankets away as she pulled his briefs down. He gasped against her lips as she tentatively took hold of his cock, stroking it gently, though the angle was a little awkward. Link broke from their kiss and moved to her neck, planting kisses and nipping at her skin restlessly.

"Zel-" he glanced up at her in surprise as she pushed him back slightly and moved downwards. Link rested on his elbows, watching her apprehensively, twitching in her hand, his cheeks red. Zelda set herself down, planting a light kiss on his tip and flicking her eyes up to meet his. Seeing him like this was new - and she couldn't help but enjoy every moment of it. She took more of him into her mouth, and Link groaned quietly, his mouth falling open. He fell back down against the bed, his chest heaving with deep breaths as she began to move more rhythmically. She tried not to think of Darius - the last time she'd done any of this had been with him - but couldn't help relying on some of the same techniques nonetheless.

It wasn't long before she felt Link's hands in her hair, his fingers twitching against her head, telling her exactly what he wanted at each moment. He pulled her back a little, gently but then forcefully. She glanced up at him expectantly, and he looked back at her from behind long lashes, breathless and desperate.

"I'm -"

Zelda gave him a small smile of understanding, and then took him back into her mouth, moving so slowly that Link gasped and writhed impatiently in the sheets. When it seemed like he couldn't take it anymore, she moved faster and firmer. Her cheeks were beginning to ache a little.

"Z-Zel-"

His breathing quickened and suddenly he groaned - so loud she was sure someone would hear, but she glanced sideways to see him cover his mouth with his hand as he came, and hot liquid filled her mouth. It was more than she bargained for, and she shut her eyes tight for a moment, swallowing hard. It took a few moments for her to be sure it was all good; she'd rather that than have the stuff all over her clothes or the floor, but still it wasn't exactly pleasant. Seeing Link's body twitching in orgasm, cheeks stained red and hand still covering his mouth as he groaned against it, however, was well worth it.

She wiped her mouth and Link pulled her absently towards him, embracing her in a hold as he shuddered and pushed his face into her neck.

"I take it that was… nice?" Zelda asked, and the blond responded only by kissing her again. She smiled against his lips as he pushed against her, and then he moved to her jaw and neck and collarbone and then lower still; she arched her back instinctively up and he took the opportunity to unclasp her top. She gasped a little, and he paused to look down at her. His eyes were lit aflame, cheeks full of colour, his cock still pressing absently against her hips.

He looked at her worriedly, silently asking if everything was okay, and she shook away her insecurities.

"Yeah," she replied nervously, and Link bent back over her again, planting kisses down her chest as he pulled the fabric away softly. She jolted a bit as his lips passed over her nipples, and then laughed in spite of herself, but then Link continued moving lower.

She looked at him warily as he kissed all the way down her stomach, and took hold of the fabric holding her skirt together.

"Can I?"

"Wh- what exactly do you want to do?" Zelda asked in response, unsure if she was ready for whatever he had in mind. Link smiled softly at her then.

"Just kisses."

"Kisses?" she repeated, smiling skeptically, and Link licked his bottom lip briefly before pulling away at the knotted fabric. Zelda let her head fall back; she couldn't see him looking at her for the first time, she was too embarrassed; but she was surprised when he fell still for a moment, and finally she looked back up at him. Was something… wrong with her?

"You're beautiful," he said quietly as she propped herself up to see what was wrong, and it surprised her so much she let out another laugh. _Heroines, I'm so nervous._

Link's eyes met hers then as he moved downwards, kneeling off the bed and taking one of her legs under his arms. Zelda inched backwards a little, having no clue what it would feel like. Darius had never gone so far to return the favor. As his mouth planted a kiss at just the right spot - and his tongue began to move - she let herself fall back into the sheets once more.

 _Ohhh._

Her lips fell open as Link continued, and she had no idea how much time had passed when he slowly pushed a finger - and then promptly two - inside of her. She covered her mouth with both of her hands, desperately willing herself not to moan like she so wanted to, because the movements of the voe were beginning to blur together into just one ridiculously pleasurable sensation. She couldn't make heads or tails of what he was doing anymore, and it didn't matter; a familiar pressure was building, and her breathing was heavy as Link moved a little faster and pushed her completely over the edge.

She couldn't help the sounds she made then, and jerked backwards, clutching at the blanket and gasping as ecstacy rocked through her body. Link followed her, his mouth still on her, and she twitched violently each time he moved his tongue over her again until finally she pushed his head away with her thighs and moved back further.

Link wiped his mouth with his forearm and pulled himself onto the bed fully beside her, pulling her close to him. She let out a weak laugh as she wrapped her arms around him, enjoying the feeling of their naked bodies pressed together.

"It seems you've done that before," Zelda muttered with a smile, and Link stroked her hair as he held her.

"Once or twice," he admitted in reply.

"Mmhm," Zelda replied, wondering if it was the truth or if he'd had more experience than he was letting on. She was familiar with herself well enough, but had never finished quite like that before. The two of them were quiet for a bit then, and Zelda had nearly fallen asleep before Link broke the silence.

"This is nice."

She smiled and nudged her face closer to his chest, reaching absently behind her to drag a sheet over the two of them.

"I know Ganon is coming," he said quietly a moment later, "but when this is done, Zelda-"

"I liked how you said 'Zel' earlier," she interrupted quickly, "sorry - go ahead."

"Zel. Can we - is it asking too much if I-"

He cut himself off, tensing again, and seemed a little unable to find the words. She didn't really know exactly what he wanted to ask, but had an idea of what it was, and felt heat rushing to her cheeks. But Link seemed disheartened.

"It's not really my place," he said then, his shoulders dropping. Zelda pulled back a bit, looking at him intently. He was right. Ganon was coming. She couldn't - couldn't think about really falling for someone, not now, not when their lives were going to be endangered so soon, but… part of her knew it was already too late. Link meant more to her than she could say.

"Link."

The blond slowly lifted his eyes to hers; he looked inexplicably sad in the moment, but she smiled anyways.

"I'd love to."

His expression lit up a little, but still he was cautious.

"To go- to-"

"To be with you," she clarified, sweeping a thumb over his cheekbone. "I want to be with you."

Link's eyes widened. He looked genuinely surprised, like he hadn't expected her to actually return his feelings, despite everything. He leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers, and let his eyes fall shut. Zelda watched him for a moment, drinking in the moment, and then followed suit.

 _Sa'oten._

 _I'm so fucked._


	11. Chapter 11

The days leading up to when Ganon would supposedly return were horribly slow. One by one, the Champions had brought their divine beasts to the desert in preparation. Sword training came last, and it was brutally tough. The days were spent sweating and practicing, complete with morning and evening patrols, and the nights were spent breathlessly with Link. But the stress was beginning to wear on everyone, and tensions were running high.

To make things worse, Yiga and monsters were becoming more common in the desert, wreaking havoc on travelers and merchants. The Gerudo were kept busy just trying to keep the town free of them, since they continually tried to get in. Ganon was obviously getting ready.

When the townspeople did manage to catch a young Yiga - who was actually a deserter from Kakariko, and who turned himself in - the young man admitted to having placed the You Have One Month notes. He apparently regretted joining the clan, and requested to be sent back to Kakariko so he could own up to his crimes, but the Gerudo didn't even have the resources to escort him out of the desert. They kept him for questioning instead, and today, Link and Zelda were finally going to meet him.

The dungeons beneath the city weren't used much, and the guards had had to begrudgingly clean out a cell before keeping the ex-Yiga there. When Link and Zelda headed downstairs to meet with him, the man looked mostly disinterested in their presence.

"This is Link, Hyrule's chosen hero, and I am Princess Zelda of the Gerudo," she introduced herself. The man - who really looked more like a teenager, now that Zelda looked at him - let out a sigh.

"Kita," he replied, brushing brown hair from his eyes.

"First off, I wanted to say thank-you for the notes," Zelda began, noting the surprise that lit up in Kita's hazel eyes as soon as she spoke. "It has given us the foresight we needed to prepare for Ganon's return. And thank-you for handing yourself in to us," she added.

Kita looked like he knew there was more than just gratitude coming, and hugged his knees in tight towards himself. Zelda glanced sideways at Link, and the knight stepped forward.

"We wanted to know what exactly Ganon is planning," Link said, and Kita let out a light laugh.

"I wish I could tell you," he replied, looking up at them honestly. "But even the high-ranking Yiga don't know. Just that he's moving on the solstice."

"Moving?" Link and Zelda spoke in unison. Kita nodded.

"Yeah. He's not in the desert right now. He's been storing monsters, like he had been in the valley of the heroines, in various spots around Hyrule. He's bringing them all to attack Gerudo town. That's - that's pretty much all I know."

"Pretty much?" Link asked. Kita shuffled, looking uncomfortable.

"There was a rumor that… that he'd attack the divine beasts. To keep them occupied, so they wouldn't be on him. And that he would use them somehow, too. But, I don't know, that seems… I don't know how even Ganon could do that."

Kita trailed off, shuddering a little and resting his chin in his hands. Zelda couldn't hide the look of horror on her face. There were monsters all over Hyrule? And the Divine Beasts - he wanted to use them somehow? But only the Champions could pilot them. How on earth could he gain control?

"Are you going to send me back to Kakariko?" Kita asked suddenly, looking hopeful. Zelda was snapped out of her stupor, and shook her head.

"No, I'm sorry. We don't have a single hand on deck that's free. There are other priorities."

"Kakariko is going to punish you anyways," Link interjected then, "why do you want to go back so badly?"

Kita looked like he was wondering for a moment whether or not to tell them, and then finally the boy sighed.

"So I won't be here when Ganon attacks."

As Link and Zelda left back up the stairs to go meet with the Champions once more, Link took hold of her wrist, stopping her in one of the narrow dungeon hallways. She stopped, but didn't look at him. She knew what he was going to say. She knew it, and because of that, she couldn't look him in the eyes.

"Zelda."

Voices from Gerudo chatting outside were muffled through the thick sandstone walls, and she stared hard towards the floor, shuffling one foot forwards a little.

"Zel. You heard what he said. We have to ask for volunteers."

She turned abruptly to look at Link, sunlight filtering in through slotted windows onto his face. She didn't know what to say, but knew that she didn't necessarily have to speak, either. Link understood, she knew he did. She knew he hated asking for help or even admitting that he needed help at all, even if the situation was futile.

"We're spread so thin," Link urged.

"But the royal guard, the Sheikah, they - they have their own homes to protect," Zelda protested.

"There'll be nothing left to protect if we don't win," the blond replied quietly, and Zelda knew there was nothing she could say back. If she at least had her sealing power and her triforce, then perhaps they would stand a chance, but as it was they barely had any warriors to fight. Gerudo had never had a huge population. But the image in Zelda's mind of her, Link, and the four champions against Ganon… well, that clearly wasn't going to be the reality of it. Now, it was a numbers game.

"We need a proper army," Link said sternly. "I can get the royal guard. And the Sheikah I'm sure, too. Mipha, Revali, and Daruk, can go to fetch their best and bring them back. Hateno and East Post also have some formidable fighters," the blond added, and Zelda was suddenly incredibly grateful for his knowledge on the settlements around Hyrule. She wouldn't have known where to look first, besides the castle. Still, she didn't know what to say; Ganon's words from the earlier night weighing heavily on her shoulders.

Link must have noticed, because his hand slid from her wrist to grasp at her fingers.

"There's something else?"

"Well -" she thought about saying, _no, nevermind,_ but knew that Link wouldn't let her leave anything like that unspoken. It was a little annoying, but kept her accountable to her thoughts.

"That night that… that Ganon came in," she began, looking up at Link cautiously, "he said something to me about how Hylia had chosen you to string along. You know, with us reincarnating, and all. And that it was characteristic of me to use those around me, like I did with Revali and the sword."

"Zelda-" Link's lips dropped open, and he reached for her, but she shook her head.

"No," she replied, smiling weakly, "if you hug me, I'll just cry. I'm okay, really," she assured him, giving him one last look with as much confidence as she could possibly muster. He didn't seem happy to hear her mention crying, but dropped his arm nonetheless.

"None of us see you that way," Link assured her, and she nodded, swallowing. "The Champions want to help. Revali included, even if he doesn't act like it," he added bitterly, and Zelda stifled a laugh.

"It doesn't make asking people to risk their lives any easier."

"Don't take this the wrong way," Link said then as they began to walk back up and out of the long hallway, "but they're not just doing it for you. They know that Hyrule depends on it. If someone can, I think they generally want to contribute," he added thoughtfully, and she glanced back over her shoulder to look at him gratefully.

"Thank-you, Link."

The sun greeted them as they walked up the steps and found themselves once again at the city walls. Zelda let herself stall briefly, enjoying the hot rays for a minute before finally heading into the war tent after Link had gone in. Explaining the plan to the Champions went over relatively well, although she hated to see the looks on their faces when she told them of what Kita had said about the monsters.

"No time to waste," Revali sighed, getting to his feet and stretching one wing out, then the other. "I'll be back the fastest, no doubt, so I can go now."

"There's one more thing," Zelda interrupted suddenly, though she was not at all impatient to relay the other warning Kita had given them.

"There was a rumor that Ganon… will try to take control of the Divine Beasts, somehow. So I need to warn you to be on your guard as the solstice nears."

"You don't need to tell us that," Urbosa replied after a moment of silence. "Of course, that isn't good news," the chieftain continued, standing with a sigh from the table, "but we knew what we were signing up for. Revali, as soon as you're back, Mipha and Daruk can head out. I'm going to go now to visit King Rhoam."

Zelda's shoulders dropped.

"When will you be back?"

"Right on time, probably," Urbosa guessed. "Don't worry, little bird. Naboris and I will be here to help. You know I want to play my part in beating Ganon to a pulp," she reassured her, seeing the worry in Zelda's eyes. The older woman planted a light kiss on Zelda's forehead and then left the tent. Revali passed by her other side, and rested a wing briefly on her shoulder reassuringly before disappearing through the tent flaps behind Urbosa. The wind whipped up a moment later as the Rito took of, shaking the tent fabric.

Having the Champions away from town was not ideal. It had been bad enough when they were gone one at a time to get the Divine Beasts. Now, it was likely that by tomorrow, her, Revali, and Link would be the only ones at home. Urbosa, Mipha, and Daruk wouldn't be there until the day of the solstice.

"Princess… how far away exactly is the solstice, now?" Daruk asked, sounding like he was already nervous to hear the answer.

"Two days."

That night, Mipha and Link helped the evening patrol while Daruk and Zelda went over some of the controls for Vah Rudania. When the Princess finally left for bed, relieved that Link at least didn't have to sneak away from Revali tonight, she was surprised when the knight didn't show up at the usual time. She suspected that the evening patrol had been somewhat eventful with Yiga and monsters, but stopped herself from worrying as much as she could have. Zelda ended up dozing off early, candle still lit on the bedside table.

She stirred when Link finally arrived. The candle had nearly burnt out when the voe carefully swept a hand over her cheek.

"Zel. Sorry I'm late."

"Mm," she replied tiredly, rolling over and stretching. "Everything okay?"

"...yeah," Link replied, looking away from her as he stood and began to undress. Zelda sniffed, looking up at the ceiling while she tried to will herself to wake up a little bit.

"Are you sure?" she asked, a bit late at realising his tone of voice. He looked at her over his shoulder as he stepped out of his pants.

"You're getting too good at reading me," he sighed, and Zelda smiled to herself as she propped her cheek up on one hand.

"You could read me from day one, so it's only fair," she said back, and Link laughed a little in response. He sunk into bed with a sigh, pulling Zelda close as she wrapped one arm over his stomach and rested her head on his chest.

"Mipha, tonight… I think she proposed to me."

"Mmm. Wait, what?"

Zelda had been almost falling back asleep by the time Link spoke, but now she had no trouble staying awake.

"She _proposed?_ "

"I think so," Link said, still concentrating on the ceiling. Zelda rolled to her front, looking at him in disbelief.

"You think so."

"Well she… said she had something to give me back home. And that she wanted to spend more time together with me, when all of this is done. A lot more."

His blue eyes flicked down to her briefly.

"...and?" Zelda replied, "what did you say?"

"I told her I was seeing someone," Link replied, eyebrows raised as he looked back at the ceiling. "I didn't know what else to say."

"You knew that she liked you all this time, right?" Zelda asked, and Link tilted his head back and forth.

"Kind of. I just assumed she was just really sweet."

"She _is_ really sweet," Zelda admitted, "but she was always smitten for you. Was she okay when you told her?"

"I think I broke her heart a little," Link admitted, frowning, and Zelda dipped her head into his neck in a half hug. "She looked really sad. But she told me she wants me to be with whoever makes me happiest."

Zelda blinked her eyes open, looking down at the fabric behind Link's head. Her heart ached a bit. If it had been the other way, would she be able to be truly happy for Link, knowing he was happier with someone else? Maybe, eventually, but it would still be heartbreaking. Obviously he hadn't told Mipha he was seeing her, and it would be awkward when it all came about. She'd never been particularly close with Mipha, but the two were at least friends, and she didn't want anything to get in the way of that. But the Zora had always been nothing if not kind, so surely, it wouldn't cause too much drama…

"She asked me if I thought I was," Link continued then, pulling Zelda a little closer. "And I said I was sure of it."

"Sorry, what?" Zelda replied, shaking herself from her thoughts and looking back up to meet Link's eyes.

"If I was with the person that made me the happiest," he said, pushing some of her hair away from her face. Zelda felt like her heart was melting, but couldn't help the sadness that suddenly plagued her heart. Out of everyone, why did she have to fall for him? The one that would be throwing himself headfirst at Ganon? The one that was, probably, the most likely to _not_ make it out of battle? He meant more to her than she could possibly say now.

But there was something else at hand.

"On the solstice, Link, you have to promise me something," Zelda asked, wondering if now really was the best time to bring it up. They had one more day to prepare, so she hoped that at least her words might have time to sink in.

"Your job is to defeat Ganon. I know you're my chosen hero, but I'm… not the Princess with the triforce and the sealing power like I was supposed to be," she added, and Link looked increasingly upset with each word she said. "You can't prioritize protecting me. You have to put Hyrule first. If it comes down to it, Link, you have to leave me."

Link looked suddenly broken. She couldn't stand to look at his eyes anymore, and bent down to wrap her arms around him instead, pulling him close.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want it to be like this, really. But you have to promise me that."

"Seriously?" he asked, his voice breaking as he held her close, one hand resting on the back of her head. "I can't promise you that."

"You have to," she said quietly, "please, Link. I couldn't forgive you if you saved me at the cost of Ganon succeeding. And he might spare me, he said he would, but he wouldn't spare you," she argued, holding him tight. The idea of being Ganon's plaything for the rest of her lifetime, if he won, wasn't exciting. She knew that Link was too much of a risk to leave alive - and she knew Ganon would feel the same.

"I-" he broke off, his whole body tense as he held her. "I'm not going to let it come to that. I promise."

 _You might not have a choice_ , she thought to herself as she buried her face into his neck, but didn't want to say anything more on the subject. It wasn't pleasant. Nothing had been pleasant lately, except him, but now Ganon was threatening to take that away. Hyrule was important, of course. Gerudo was her first priority. But Link was becoming more than all of that. She felt too responsible for him, felt too close to him, too attached. Coming to terms with her feelings for him now, as much as she was tempted to do so, would just make it hurt more if anything happened; so she suppressed them.

Behind Link's head, a triangle of light flickered faintly on Zelda's hand, but faded all too fast.


	12. Chapter 12

The day before the solstice was quiet.

The town was silent instead of its usual, bustling self. Everyone was mostly prepared. Children had been ushered into the downstairs dungeon for safety, the shop stalls had all been cleaned up and turned into small forts, and houses had been barricaded. Those that were out and about talked in hushed and solemn voices. Zelda felt their eyes on her as she walked through town, alone. She had to take the day to plan a speech for tomorrow morning, to hopefully rally the troops and improve their outlook for the upcoming battle. Many were pessimistic due to her not having her sealing power. Word had spread throughout Hyrule of the failure of the Gerudo Princess. But she had no time to feel sorry for herself anymore. She had no time left to care about what they thought.

As she left the city gates, Zelda took a brief look around. Sitting behind town was Vah Naboris; perched on the nearby Gerudo Highlands was Vah Medoh, ready for takeoff; taking over Kara Kara Bazaar's small water feature was Vah Ruta; and crouched, mostly hidden beneath a sand dune nearby, was Vah Rudania.

"Good morning!"

Revali's chipper voice distracted her from her worries, and Zelda looked to see the navy Rito coming in for a landing right beside her.

"I present to you, the archers from Rito Village."

At first she had no idea what he was talking about, but then she saw them coming in from the highlands, about two dozen strong. They waved and smiled as they got closer, whipping up sand as they landed near the tents. Zelda tried to put on her best smile. She hated looking at them and wondering if they would all survive the next day.

"Princess Zelda, of the Gerudo," a bright red Rito spoke as she approached, "we are honored to help on behalf of Rito Village."

The red Rito curtseyed, and Zelda did so in return, surprised to see that all of the archers had greeted her formally as well.

"Thank you, Revali," Zelda said, and th champion looked pleased with himself.

"Say no more. Each of these archers was handpicked by me. I have the utmost confidence in their abilities."

Zelda smiled back at him, always amused by the Revali's cockiness, but she knew that to hear him compliment _anyone_ was rare, so they must have been just as good as he said. She turned to the Rito then, looking over them for a moment before speaking up.

"At sunrise tomorrow, I'm going to speak to everyone, so please be in town at that time. For that moment only you may disregard our rule forbidding voe from entering. Thank you for making the long trip here. Please, get some rest, and let us know if you need anything. The tents should be ready for you by this afternoon."

Sure enough, as she'd finished speaking, she glanced towards the other small village of tents and saw more being put up by the Hylian guards. It would be tough to have room enough for everyone, and it would surely be crowded, but there was nothing that could be done about it.

Link came out of the war tent then, yawning as he did so. He stopped in his tracks at seeing the Rito, waved hello to a few who must have known him, and then came to see Zelda and Revali.

"You got back quick," Link observed, and Revali puffed his chest feathers out a bit.

"Did you expect any less? Flying is _so_ much faster than your traditional modes of transportation."

"I hope Urbosa gets back in time," Zelda said suddenly, distracted by the wasteland mountains in the distance. Link and Revali exchanged brief glances.

"She will be," Revali piped up before Link got the chance. "She's already called dibs on first shot at Ganon. Speaking of which, don't we have a plan to go over?"

Zelda nodded hurriedly, and the three of them left back for the war tent to begin going over their plans. There were only a few places where Ganon's monsters would be able to get into the desert. They considered closing off the Gerudo Desert Gateway, assuming the monsters decided to take that valley to get in, but then there was the risk that they would simply filter back out into Hyrule and cause chaos for unprotected citizens. Instead, they would let them in and _then_ block the gateway with boulders.

"That's assuming they come in through the valley," Zelda realised suddenly, "what if Ganon goes above ground?"

"Monsters can't climb," Link said then, studying the map closely. "They have to come in that way."

"So we trap them in and take them out," Revali said decidedly. "My archers can dispatch of the smaller monsters incredibly quickly. I'd suggest using them for clean-up."

"Done," Zelda agreed. "The Sheikah will be in the midst and help where they can. The Gerudo will set off the landslide in the gateway to lock the monsters in, and then patrol the perimeter so that the monsters don't take off elsewhere."

"How about the royal guard?"

They looked up in surprise at the new voice, and Zelda was shocked to see a new Hyrule royal guard standing at the entrance of the tent. The man pulled off his helmet and tucked it under his arm, and when he looked back up, her mouth dropped open. Dark blonde hair, tan skin, and striking blue eyes -

"Dad?"

Link looked bewildered, and the guard closed the distance between him and his son in just a few long steps, pulling the knight up from his seat for an impromptu embrace, though there was quite a bit of armor between them.

"Good to see you working so hard," the knight said with a grin. Link looked shocked as his father pulled away and set him back down onto his feet.

"I haven't met these two yet. Princess Zelda, I assume?" he asked, turning to her. She stood quickly, and he took her hand, kneeling down.

"Eagus, at your service."

"A pleasure," she replied nervously, and the man stood back up before turning to Revali.

"So it's _your_ fault we have to deal with that one," the Rito joked, jerking his head towards Link, feathered wings folded. Zelda wasn't sure if the joke would get through, but Eagus was quiet only for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"Hah! That's right. I take it you're Revali. Honored to finally be meeting the best archer in Hyrule."

Revali looked excitedly towards Zelda and then Link.

"See? Now _this_ guy knows what he's talking about."

"We weren't expecting you here so quickly," Zelda interjected, though she was pleased for it. "Is Urbosa-?"

"She went on ahead to Kakariko, and I sent a couple guards to Hateno. They should be on their way back by now, but they probably won't get here until late this evening," he guessed, scratching the back of his neck. Zelda nodded, trying not to be _too_ visibly disappointed, but was happy to hear at least that they'd be back in time for the big group gathering tomorrow morning.

"Thank you for coming," she said suddenly as soon as she'd remembered. "Gerudo Town is in your debt."

"Forget it," Eagus said, his casual manner of speaking catching Zelda a little off guard. "It's the most excited I've been in a long time. Been forever since we fought together, eh?"

He looked back to Link, who nodded but said nothing. There was a brief and awkward pause as Eagus waited for Link to respond, but the knight simply sat back down and looked back to the map. The captain took a breath and then smiled once more despite it.

"Well, anyways. I'm going to go get the troops all settled. Captain Torae said she'd put us to work," he added with a chuckle. "But I'll let ya know this. We're formidable guards, we are. The Zora might be better on the front lines. Now I'm not just saying that to cover my own ass," Eagus added quickly, "but if we pair up with the zora, our shields can protect them while they're fighting with their spears they like so much. Just an idea."

He lingered towards the tent door then, keeping a watchful eye on Link, but the knight only looked back up at him silently. Blue eyes met blue. Zelda could have cut the tension in the room with a knife.

"So! Call if you need me. If you want help planning, or anything. Happy to help."

Eagus waved before heading out then, and as he did so, Zelda and Revali turned expectantly to Link. The knight pretended not to notice, trailing one finger in an absent circle on the map of the desert.

"Link. Are you okay?" Zelda asked suddenly, and the Hylian looked up with a start.

"What? Yeah. Good," he replied simply, giving her a hesitant look before looking back at the map. She didn't want to push it at the moment, at least not with Revali listening as intently as he was.

"I liked his suggestion," she admitted, taking a seat. "Link, do you think that would work, if we pair the guards and Zora warriors?"

"Probably," he replied, nodding to himself. "Yeah."

"Then all that's left is the Sheikah... I'm thinking perhaps we can split them up into four, and have them assisting the Divine Beasts, as well as Link and I."

"If Ganon tries to come after us, he'll have another thing coming," Revali scoffed.

"Still," Zelda urged, "I'd rather be safe than sorry. Revali, just since Medoh can fly, maybe you'd like to keep a couple archers alongside you, and I'll leave the Sheikah for the others?"

The Rito thought it over for a moment, and then shrugged.

"Alright. If it makes you feel better." 

"It does," she replied with a smile, and then looked back to Link, who had dazed out of the conversation again.

"Want to go see how your archers are getting along?" she asked suddenly, turning to the Rito. "I think we've got the plan mostly sorted."

Revali nodded, and took off from the tent a moment later, leaving Zelda and Link sitting across from each other in silence. She watched him patiently, waiting to hear whatever was on his mind, assuming he felt like sharing. Several times Link looked like he was about to speak, and finally did so.

"I didn't expect him to be here," he said suddenly, and Zelda had to resist laughing.

"I can tell," she answered honestly. Link looked exasperated.

"I thought he'd stay, and just - send most his guards. I didn't want him here."

"Why not?"

"For the same reason I don't want _you_ here," he replied, looking at her as if the answer had been obvious. She took a quick breath in. Right. Link had… immediate family. She didn't.

"And my mum is still back home, there's no one there to watch her, and-"

"Link," Zelda interrupted him, but the knight kept going.

"And he's going to be expecting me to succeed - like he always has, and if anything happens to you, I-"

He trailed off, averting her gaze and looking back down at the table, eyes wide.

"There's so much pressure. I didn't think it was going to be like this, I didn't think there'd be so much at stake," he stammered, looking back up at her. Zelda wanted to cry, but held it back, taking a deep breath.

"There's always been a lot at stake," she reminded him, standing up from her spot at the table and walking around it to sit back down next to Link, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"But I know you can do it."

" _We_ can do it," he corrected her, looking up. She wanted to believe him.

"...we can do it," she repeated in agreement. 

The rest of the afternoon was spent going over the smaller details of their plan. Everything from breakfast, to clothing choices, to the weather forecast for the next day was taken into account. Revali went to supervise the setting up of the boulder landslide in the Gerudo Gateway, and the staff at the stable were told to evacuate, along with all of their horses, to Tabantha. Slowly, everything began to fall into place. Zelda was feeling a little more confident by the end of the day, and that evening, took a seat in front of the Hylia statue in town.

"I know I'm not in the right garb," she began, clutching her hands together, "and I know I'm not even the right… person, for this. But I beg of you to aid me, tomorrow, somehow. If not for me, then at least for Link," she urged, her voice barely a whisper as she let her eyes fall shut and dipped her head towards the earth.

"He's our only hope."

Link joined her again that night, and although they held each other close, they were mostly silent. Both of them knew it would be tough to get any proper rest before the next day. Nonetheless, Zelda found herself dozing off and on, but there were no nightmares or dreams to greet her, nothing. Just darkness.

Link left early morning so as not to be found out, and Zelda pulled herself together, alone. She decided to go for a traditional Gerudo outfit that day, and clasped gold jewelry around her neck and wrists. She took the time to braid her long red hair, interspersing the strands with golden threads and clips, and then dressed in a ruby top and skirt, each accented by gold metalworking and sapphire gems.

She took a moment to assess her appearance in the mirror, unable to help wondering what all the fabric would look like at the end of the day, or if this would be the outfit she died in.

 _At least I'll look nice._

When she left the palace that morning, she knew what was awaiting her, but still didn't expect Gerudo Town to be _that_ full.

It was the busiest she'd seen it. The sun had barely breached the horizon when she stepped out at the top of the palace, and immediately the town erupted in cheers. It was full of Hylian royal guards and fighters; warriors from Zora domain; her own Gerudo; the Rito archers; a handful of Goron; and Urbosa, Daruk, Revali, Mipha, and Link.

Her eyes lingered on him as he stared back at her. She made a split-second decision at that moment - if the gods weren't listening to her, she wouldn't do it for them. She'd do it for him.

"Sav'otta," she greeted the group, at least a hundred strong, and as she did so the crowd quieted.

"I want to start by expressing my gratitude. On behalf of Gerudo, sarqso."

There was a mutter from the other Gerudo, a quiet _sarqso,_ as Zelda bowed towards the group.

"We were lucky to have discovered recently that Ganon plans to bring an entire army of monsters to our doorstep. We were also lucky to have received warning that today, the solstice, is the day he would attack. For that, I also want to extend my appreciation to Kita."

The crowd muttered another _sarqso_ , and Zelda decided to leave out the fact that he was ex-yiga.

"Ganon's monsters cannot climb, and so they will all be coming in through the Gerudo Desert Gateway. Once they're in, an explosion will cause a landslide to trap them within the desert. We will take them out - and Ganon - systematically," she explained, glancing down to Urbosa, who smiled back up at her.

"The Rito Archers; you are in charge of clearing out smaller hordes of monsters. The Royal Guard, Gorons, and the Zora will be fighting side-by-side on the front lines. Hylians, you must keep the Zora as protected as possible while they take the offense," she clarified, and heard a resounding _ha_ from the soldiers in the crowd.

"The Sheikah I would like to assign to the Divine Beasts Ruta, Rudania, and Naboris. There was a rumor that Ganon may try to override the Champions controls; please assist them in keeping a clear sight on Ganon."

"Myself and Link will be watching from the Southern Outpost for Ganon's arrival," she added, "and when we see him we will move. I will also request that three or four Sheikah accompany us and watch our backs during this time."

She pleaded silently for no one to ask about her triforce or sealing power. Perhaps having the army there meant that she didn't even need it, but that seemed too good to be true.

"I'll ask those who have been assigned to it to begin their scouting," she said then, and a handful of people from within the group began to filter out. "We don't know what time he is coming. Please be on alert."

Zelda paused. The faces of the people ahead of her were hard to look at. It was as if all of Hyrule was there to fight and risk everything, just for the _chance_ they might succeed. What else could they do?

"Good luck," she finally said, and the group began to disperse. The champions, however, began climbing the stairs of the palace to greet her. Urbosa threw her arms around her first, and Mipha joined. The Gerudo champion pulled in Link and Revali a moment later, and Daruk joined the fray last, lifting all four of them effortlessly.

"You did great, little bird," Urbosa said, as soon as the Goron let them all down. "We're going to go to our beasts, now. Link will be by your side."

"Right," Zelda nodded, glancing momentarily to Link and then back at Urbosa. "Good luck."

"As if I need luck," Urbosa laughed, "but thank you. You two - we'll see you on the battlefield - and when this is all over."

Urbosa left first, leaving the others to linger.

"Ganon won't know what hit him," Daruk said firmly, patting Zelda and Link roughly on their backs. "Maybe I'll make us all a good rock roast after."

He laughed - not being one for goodbyes or good lucks - and left back down the stairs.

"With me and my archers, I see no reason why we can't easily dispatch of Ganon," Revali said with a grin, "but I digress. This will all be over soon. Good luck - Link," the Rito added quickly, looking sharply at the Hylian, who only smiled back.

Mipha was last, and the Zora immediately hugged Zelda again.

"If anything happens, come straight to me after," she urged after pulling away, looking to Link as well. "Ruta and I are honored to play the role of support. I will do all I can to help us annihilate Ganon," she said firmly, and Zelda tried not to laugh a little at hearing the soft-spoken Zora use such harsh words.

"Thank you, Mipha," Link said quietly, and the Zora looked at him kindly before finally leaving down the stairs after the other Champions. Zelda and Link turned to each other then, and immediately she threw her arms around him, trying not to let all the pent up fear spill out. His hand rubbed her back, slowly and firmly, and she let her eyes fell shut as she held onto him.

"I'm trying not to be scared," she said quietly, and Link nodded, squeezing her a little tighter.

"Me too."


	13. Chapter 13

It was midday when the monsters began to pour in. She'd had to hold off on giving the signal for the explosion, since their numbers seemed almost endless, but finally, the stream of them seemed to trickle off. Through a telescope atop the Southern Outpost, Zelda watched as boulders poured in, closing the valley off to all of the monsters that had arrived. The royal guards, Zora, and Rito had been fighting for already nearly an hour, against all manner of creatures. Bokoblins and Lizalfos made up the most of them, but there were Moblins and Lynels and the occasional Hinox as well, towering about the soldiers as they swung tree branches menacingly to make space, slowly trying to get towards Gerudo Town.

"It's weird watching from here but not hearing anything," Link said suddenly from beside her, and Zelda nodded. Her heart was racing. There was no sign of Ganon, not yet, but she knew it was only a matter of time; no doubt he wouldn't let them simply clean up all of the monsters he'd spent so long gathering.

When Vah Ruta suddenly turned to face away from Gerudo Town, Zelda wondered if something was wrong. In fact, all of the divine beasts had gone slightly out of position, but she hadn't thought much of it until now. When she saw Ruta light up and get ready to fire, however, she knew something had gone terribly wrong.

"Link-" she'd barely breathed his name when the beast fired. Red light seared through the desert sand and then dissipated, and after a brief delay, explosions lit. She could feel the ground shaking. Her and Link crouched immediately to the surface of the wooden outpost as it rattled slightly from the wind that was swept up. A massive cloud of sand had burst, and now as Zelda looked up desperately to try and see what had become of both armies, she found herself unable to see anyone.

"They're somewhere in there," she said, looking sideways to Link. "We have to go."

"What? But Ganon-"

"He will come to us," she replied firmly, already standing up shakily and moving to go down the ladder. She took a couple steps down and then looked back up at Link.

"Just stay with me."

Alongside a couple Sheikah warriors who had been assigned to them, Link and Zelda made their way across the dunes as quickly as possible. It seemed even hotter than usual, and both of them had sweat dripping from their brow by the time they made it to the battlefield. At first, Zelda saw nothing and no one, but slowly the occasional fighters came into view, looking mostly okay but shellshocked. Out of the dust, a Zora spearman ran to her, grasping her by her shoulders.

"What are you _doing_ out here?" he asked, looking in a panic towards Link. Zelda didn't have an answer. She was staring past his shoulder at the still form of a Hylian guard, laying, unmoving, in the sand.

"Are you insane? That thing is going to fire again any minute!"

Another beam struck. She didn't have time to even think about it before her ears were ringing, and Link had thrown her and the Zora to the ground as the sand shook, bubbled, and boiled beneath them. More explosions rang out across the desert, echoing relentlessly across the dunes and the cliff faces like thunder.

"We need to get to Gerudo Town. Now," Link urged, pulling on Zelda's arm. She wanted to run back to that guard, but the Zora spearfighter did so himself, lifting the man up as best he could. As Link and Zelda disappeared into the sand, she watched as the guard shakily put one of his feet down. _Maybe he's okay._

The Sheikah began to follow, but Link stopped them.

"Go help where it's needed," he said to them, and they paused.

"But who will protect the Princess?" one of them asked, sounding doubtful.

"Me," Link replied sternly. The Sheikah nodded, and disappeared off into the cloud of sand.

Finally Zelda turned, clasping her hand in Link's and pushing back towards where she thought the town was. Having so much sand kicked up was disorienting. When she suddenly saw red lights shining through the cloud, she assumed she was seeing Vah Naboris towering above town and they had overshot it, but they were… moving. And not the way that Vah Naboris would move. It was way too high for that.

 _Medoh?_

More and more lights appeared, one after the other. The beast cried out, a dreadful plea, as it passed close over them. Now that she got a better look, she could see what plagued it - but almost couldn't believe her eyes.

"Are those guardians?!"

So Link was seeing the same thing. Dozens of Guardians had attached themselves to Vah Medoh, explosions ringing out all over the beast as it banked heavily sideways and began to lose altitude. Zelda's eyes followed it's likely flight path, and now she could see the walls of Gerudo Town through the slowly-dissipating sand cloud. _No, no-_

Thankfully, Medoh barely cleared town, landing instead near the ice keep. She assumed it had landed among the ruins, so her and Link picked up the pace. Some of the guardians likely survived the flight, and she didn't want to be around when they began to filter out into the desert.

Mindlessly they pushed into town. It was too quiet there, and if it wasn't for the boarded up walls and windows - and general emptiness - she could have pretended none of this was going on. Link pulled faintly back, but she didn't let go, still struggling to get to the palace. She didn't want to have time to stop and think. If she did, she was afraid she'd realise that they were already losing the battle. She couldn't come to terms with that. Not yet.

"Zel. _Zel_ -"

Link finally pulled free from her grasp, and she turned in surprise, but he was no longer facing her. He'd turned to look back at the gates of town, and standing there, as Medoh let out one more desolate cry, was Ganon.

He lifted off his cape as he walked forward, and dropped it unceremoniously to the side. Calamity swirled around him, his arms, his hands, his eyes almost glowing red. He looked content, and unnervingly calm.

"Well," he greeted them, "things are going well, wouldn't you say?"

It felt like all the ringing in her ears suddenly stopped. All she could see was him.

"I've come to take what belongs to me," Ganon continued, his grin disappearing somewhat as Link began to walk forward. Zelda reached out for him, but already the blond was beyond her grasp.

"Link-"

"Stay there."

He hadn't looked back at her as he spoke. He drew the master sword as he approached Ganon, and already the blade was shining a bright blue, reflecting the late afternoon sun as it beat down upon the three of them.

"The town is looking a little… barren," the Gerudo man said then, ignoring Link as he stood at the ready. Zelda glanced sideways at the boarded shops and windows. Everyone had evacuated to the dungeons - _right?_ So hopefully, maybe, there wouldn't be anyone here to see if everything went horribly wrong. But she would see it. The Goddesses, the Heroines, would see it. The Gerudo people would know the outcome. Her hands clenched to fists.

"Do you really want to fight? We could just have it done with now. _She_ could live," Ganon added, and Link faltered for the briefest moment. Ganon's eyes lit up, and he drew a long blade from behind his back, the sun catching the silver of it as he did so. He spun it deftly between his fingers, and stood still for only a moment before rushing Link, who reacted with a speed that surprised Zelda.

It was horrible to watch, but she couldn't look away as they fought. At first, neither would let the other get an attack in, thanks to their speed. It seemed like it would be more a test of stamina than anything, and felt like it was really going on forever as sword met sword, they clashed, retaliated, and ducked and dodged away.

Finally, blades began to meet skin as each began to lose their energy. Link staggered backwards when Ganon's scimitar carved through his shoulder; Ganon yelled as Link's retaliation cost him a deep cut on the thigh; and they traded like this for some time before finally, finally, the Gerudo had fallen to the ground. Link, bloodied and exhausted, stood above him with the sword at the ready. Zelda's hands flew to her mouth. It would be over - but something about it felt too good to be true.

A sound distracted all three of them then, and she couldn't help feeling like she'd somehow jinxed them. They watched, distracted, as it got closer and closer - and suddenly, Guardians mounted the city walls, their claws grasping and gripping into the stone as water splashed from the canals. The stone spiders' eyes lit red, and tiny targets appeared on Zelda's body. She looked down at them only briefly, the otherworldly light shining burgundy on her clothes and skin, before glancing back towards Link.

A grin spread on Ganon's lips, his violet eyes shining ecstatically.

"Your choice," he said, and Link looked over his shoulder at Zelda. Even from such a distance, she could see his blue eyes widen, could see the way his grip faltered on the hilt of the master sword. Zelda took a hesitant step backwards, the targets following her as she moved. Suddenly it seemed deadly quiet. A breeze swept her skirt sideways, the golden adornments on it jingling together quietly.

"You _promised_ ," she said, her voice weak. She didn't want to die. She didn't want to leave him, didn't want to leave everyone. But this was more important - this had to be more important.

 _Right?_

Link's eyes were on hers still, and he looked like he wanted to say something. But finally, he shut his eyes and looked back to Ganon. Zelda felt relief sweep over her, though it was bittersweet. She hadn't even gotten to hug him goodbye, hadn't gotten a last kiss, hadn't had enough time, period. Her eyes moved to Ganon, only briefly. He looked strangely disappointed, and lifted a hand in gesture to the Guardians. Zelda moved her gaze back to Link. At least he'd be the last thing she saw.

Instead, she saw the targets sweep across the sandstone in front of her, and settle suddenly on the Hylian.

"Would she make the same choice?"

Zelda caught Ganon's whisper, barely, and had already broken into a run. Link turned hurriedly to see her.

"Don't-"

In his moment of distraction, Ganon took a fistful of Link's shirt and drew him down suddenly, pushing a fist into his stomach as he did so. The blond gasped, falling to his knees, the master sword cutting into the sandstone as he used it to balance himself. Zelda hiked her skirt up so she could run faster. Ganon met her eyes briefly, and looked distinctly disappointed to see her approaching, but nonetheless moved swiftly away from Link as the targets zeroed in and the Guardians began to let out beeping sounds in preparation.

Zelda skidded to a stop on her knees beside Link, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pulling him close.

The sword clattered to the ground as Link let go in surprise. He lifted his hands weakly to try and push her arms away, but there wasn't much strength left in him at all.

"No, Zel-"

"Are you _sure_ this is what you want?" Ganon hissed, now standing a safe distance away. Hearing his anger at her decision only made Zelda feel more confident in her choice. "You could live for your people!"

She knew he was right, in a way. She knew it might have been a better choice, a smarter choice, a _wiser_ choice, to stay and at least be there for her people. But she was tired of overthinking everything, she was tired of approaching everything like a chess game, she was tired of trying to always make the right decision on behalf of other people. There was no winning here, not really. Just for once, she wanted to make a decision for herself.

"Please, Zel - get away from me-"

Link's voice broke. She could feel him shaking, and she pulled him tighter, holding him as close as she could. It was too late, and they both knew it. The beeping from the Guardians became louder and more frequent as they readied to fire. But Zelda was only thinking of Link, of things unspoken, feelings she hadn't let come to fruition, of the hope she'd had for something better than this. For so long, she hadn't wanted to let herself feel anything. Even now she was hesitant to say what she wanted to say - but there was no time to lose.

 _Enough._

"I love you," she said decidedly, squeezing Link and dipping her face into his hair. She felt him go weak in her arms, his face buried into her shoulder as he stopped trying to push her away and instead held tight to her. There was a gust of wind and a flash of blindingly white light, and Zelda was sure she'd died, was sure she was gone, was sure Link was likely gone, was sure this was the end. She was waiting for the pain, but everything felt numb. Nothing was happening. Nothing, until Ganon's yell broke out through the town. .

" _No_!"

She pulled back from Link, who barely seemed to know what was going on anymore, and looked around in shock to see that the guardians had completely broken. One by one, they faltered, and went still or fell into town atop the boarded shops. A light distracted her, and she looked at her hand to see the triforce - her triforce - glowing bright.

"Is that… the power-" she cut herself off, having noticed Ganon. He had fallen to one knee, struggling to keep himself up as blood from his earlier wounds dripped into the sand. Something clicked in her. It was now or never.

"Link," she said suddenly, finding strength in her voice that hadn't been there before. "Link."

He groaned, clutching her arm still.

"I need you, Link. For a little longer. Please," she asked, trying not to notice the red that was seeping through his shirt. They needed to find him help, but they were so close, now. They had to finish it.

Link nodded and reached for the master sword before standing shakily, and Zelda helped him as they slowly closed the distance between them and Ganon, who watched their approach with increasing frustration. But a smile twitched on the Gerudo's lips when he saw them.

"Hylia using her puppet," he hissed. "One day you will face repercussions for this. Your defiance will continue to cause problems and death."

In that moment, she knew he was right. But she'd finally accepted it.

"If that is the only way to keep you from taking over Hyrule," she replied, wondering if it was really even _her_ talking anymore, "then I will continue to defy you no matter the cost."

"I'm sorry, Darius," she added quietly, and Ganon's eyes widened a little in surprise. He looked up at Link in surprise, like somehow, he wasn't expecting the Hylian to have it in him. But Link had already lifted the sword, and with a yell, swung it down. Ganon had been there one moment, and was gone the next, bursting into a cloud of calamity. Zelda steadied herself and Link as wind whipped around them, ripping the boards in town off the windows and tossing any smaller items that hadn't been secured into the air. The shape of a bull began to form, hooves crushing down on the city walls and other buildings that had gotten in the way. She thought briefly of the people taking shelter in the dungeons under the city. This had to end - fast.

She raised her free hand to the sky, knowing somehow just what she needed to do, and a moment later a glowing golden bow landed softly in her hands.

"Zelda-"

"The last hit is mine," she interrupted Link, slowly letting him down onto the ground. Then she stood tall and took aim, an arrow of white light forming at her fingertips. She remembered all the things Revali had taught her - prayed briefly that he was okay - and let the arrow loose. It flew straight for Ganon, and a screech emitted from the beast as it hit. Light escaped in dramatic pillars from within him, which then spiraled inwards until the Calamity had been totally ensconced in it. A little golden ball floated ahead of her. Zelda's bow disappeared as she looked upon the entrapped Calamity, hovering mid-air.

Bittersweet stung at her heart. She didn't want it to be this way. Could her, Link, and Darius have led normal lives if it wasn't for fate? If Darius had been born a hundred, even a thousand years earlier, could he have been free of the evil that overtook him - or was he born _of_ it?

Zelda raised a hand to send the small ball skyward. Pain seeped into her fingertips and snaked its way down her arm like lightning. She faltered, falling to her knees, and felt Link's arm suddenly around her.

 _Ancestors of the Gerudo - aid me in this task._

For the first time, it felt like she'd been listened to. Her arm hurt like fire, but a new strength grew from within her, a new confidence. The ball scattered abruptly midair, sparkles of light flowing down and dissipating as they reached the ground. Wind swept sand around the two of them, tickling her ankles and tossing her braid past her shoulder. The sun came out from a cloud she didn't realise was there, embracing her in a familiar heat, like a hug from an old friend.

It was over.

Link coughed, and raised a hand to clutch at her shirt. She turned him so he was laying in her lap, and he groaned as he settled.

"Zel."

"Mipha is coming," she said quickly, though she wasn't sure if that was even the truth. She just wanted him to hang on.

"Zel, I-"

"You'll be okay, so just hang on," she urged him, but Link's hand suddenly swept over her lips, a clumsy attempt to get her to stop talking.

"I love you too."

Zelda was speechless as she looked back down at Link. He was looking at her intently, eyes bright as the sun as it shone down on them. She almost forgot she'd confessed to him, and she held him close now, just hoping, praying, that he would be okay until the Zora arrived - until anyone arrived. She didn't want to look at his wound, didn't want to see how bad it was. All she focused on was the slow, but still steady, beating of his heart.

"I still need you," she whispered, one hand on the back of his head.

"Well," Link said weakly, "I was going to die, but I'll hold off."

She pulled back and looked at him in shock. He was joking at a time like this? He smiled faintly at her, but there was pain in his eyes, and he coughed a moment later, covering his mouth with his hand so as not to show her the blood, but she knew - there wasn't much time left. She wasn't sure how long she could sit there and wait for someone else to show up, but she knew she wasn't about to get up and leave him, and moving him also wasn't an option.

So beneath the desert sun, as blood slowly stained her thighs and the sandstone beneath her, she held onto him. And she waited.


	14. Chapter 14

For too long, Zelda waited, holding onto a semi-conscious Link and listening to his weak heartbeat.

The first to arrive were citizens of Gerudo, slowly emerging from the dungeon. The sound of children laughing shook Zelda from her slight stupor, and she looked up in surprise to see some of the younger girls beginning to excitedly climb on the broken walls and examine the fallen Guardians. It was a surreal sight.

Captain Torae was the first to run to her, but the woman stopped a few feet away, looking down at Link in shock.

"Princess - what happened?"

"We won," Zelda said first, but Torae smiled only briefly.

"But, the Hylian Champion, and what of Urbosa?"

Zelda's breath caught in her throat. She didn't know what had happened to the champions, and she didn't know what would happen to Link either. They needed Mipha. But as she looked back up and saw the slowly gathering crowd of concerned Gerudo citizens, she knew that she couldn't sit here much longer. There was work to be done.

"Torae," she said suddenly, "gather the adults. We need one team to fix any tents that have fallen, one to retrieve any wounded from the desert, and one to treat them."

Torae looked surprised, but then stood at attention, nodding.

"I need some help taking Link to his tent. And some bandages, and water," she added, and Torae left without a word, quickly rallying anyone around able to help. Everything that happened after that was a blur. Link was barely hanging on, but at least they managed to wash his wounds and bandage him up and rest him on his cot. Zelda ran back and forth between his tent and the others, helping bring in wounded Hylians, Zora, and Rito. The Gorons were largely uninjured, and now were a big help in carrying the injured.

Most everyone worked well into the evening. Once the wounded had been brought back, teams were sent to each of the Divine Beasts to try to see what happened to the Champions. Zelda had wanted to go along, but Torae told her to stay with Link, as she looked exhausted.

She'd meant to sleep in Revali's cot, but instead slumped into the sand next to Link, desperate to hear each breath he took, weak as they were. She leaned against the small bed, interlaced her fingers with his, and abruptly fell asleep.

Sunlight peeking into her room woke her the next morning. She groaned, curled over among the blankets, and then her eyes flew open. What? At first, she didn't understand where she was. Someone must have brought her to her room. She'd nearly forgotten all of the events of the previous day, and wondered faintly if it had all been a dream, but then she remembered.

 _Link._

She stood up too fast and had to balance on the bed to steady to herself. The room spun as she stared down at her feet; she was wearing the same outfit from yesterday, and blood still stained her skirt. Any other time, she might have gagged, but she felt numb after yesterday.

She staggered down the steps to the throne room, vaguely aware of people in town calling her name. She saw no one in the palace, and so Zelda skidded to a stop at the platform where - just a day prior - she'd given a speech to the town regarding Ganon's return. Now, as her skirt caught at her ankles and she looked down at Gerudo Town, now she could see just how different it looked compared to the day prior.

The front archway had been almost completely demolished, and water from the canals leaked out at the rubble there, though it didn't last long thanks to the sun. Most of the boards had been ripped off the windows. Several Guardian bodies were within town as well, unmoving and lifeless.

"Princess!"

Slowly but surely she began to register the sound of the townspeople, and as she looked down, noticed that all of them had stopped whatever they were doing and turned to face her. Many had even found their way towards the palace steps, and as she looked towards them for familiar faces, realised that many of them were strangers. It wasn't just Gerudo - Hylian, Zora, Rito, Gorons, and the Sheikah were there as well.

A chorus of _sarqso!_ and _thank-you!_ began; one at first, then two, then three, and then Zelda lost count. The words began to get lost in the noise, and soon enough the crowd simply broke into cheers. All she could do was stare back at them with wide green eyes. She felt horribly undeserving. _What did I do?_

She took a hesitant step back, wondering if this was just a fever dream, and a warm hand suddenly rested on her shoulder. When she turned quickly to see who it was, she was shocked to see Urbosa, standing tall and smiling down at her. Zelda's heart flew into her throat and she threw herself immediately at the chieftain, shaking with dry sobs.

Urbosa only laughed in response, and the sound was like music to her ears. Thank the heroines.

"Steady, little bird. I'm not quite all here yet."

"Sorry," Zelda blurted out, quickly pulling back and taking a better look at Urbosa. Sure enough, there was a wrap around her leg, and now that she got a better look at her, scars covering her body that looked like… tree branches.

"What-"

"Let's just say it's a long story," Urbosa interrupted her. Then, no doubt seeing the look on Zelda's face, lifted a hand to stop her before she could say anymore.

"We only lost a few. Revali is still being looked at. Mipha is resting, she was up all night healing people. Daruk is fine. And I'll _be_ fine," she added quickly.

"And- Link?" Zelda asked, unable to resist. Part of her didn't want to hear Urbosa's answer. But she needed to know, one way or another, so that her mind wasn't racing.

"He got it pretty bad yesterday, but Mipha seems to think he'll make a full recovery," Urbosa finally replied. "Go see for yourself."

Maybe Urbosa was just playing dumb to Zelda's obvious concern, but the chieftain didn't have to say anything more. Zelda turned abruptly to head down the palace steps. The crowd had somewhat dispersed, but random people still stopped her as she passed, holding her hand briefly in thanks or shouting out their appreciation as she moved. She wanted to stop and chat with all of them, and say thank-you, but now wasn't the time. There was still lots to do. Hopefully, they understood that.

Finally she found herself pushing away the fabric to Link's tent. She approached slowly and as quietly as possible to his cot. Revali's bunk was empty, and she worried briefly about what state the Rito was in, but she'd be sure to track him down later.

The Hylian, in the meantime, was laying on his back, the blanket up and covering part of his face. Zelda thought at first that he must have been asleep, since he was so still, but as she crouched down beside the bed, he stirred.

"Zel?"

His voice was hoarse, and he blinked his eyes open through strands of messy blond hair. She reached forward to push it back and out of the way, and as Link's eyes focused on her, a weak smile pulled at his lips.

"Hey."

"Hey," she replied, unable to resist smiling, despite seeing the state of him. Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks, but she held them back as best she could.

"I'm so glad-"

"I'm so proud of you."

He'd interrupted her, only a little, and she cut herself short, looking at him in surprise.

"Proud? Link, I didn't-"

"You saved Hyrule," he replied quietly, "and you saved me."

Zelda only stared at him, one tear breaking free and streaming down her cheek. It was tough to take responsibility for that. She didn't feel like she'd done anything, but she wasn't about to argue with him. Now wasn't the time to discuss it, anyways - what mattered was that they'd won. And he was okay.

"I meant it, too," he said suddenly, and as she looked at him curiously, he seemed nervous.

"That - that I love you, Zel."

"I love you, too," she replied with a soft smile, distracted from her doubts in the moment. Link's eyes weren't as bright as usual, but they were steady as ever, and the two of them shared a brief silence of studying one another before Zelda broke it.

"How… how are you feeling?"

"Fine," Link replied simply, but Zelda gave him a skeptical look in response. _Bullshit._

"It's fine," he insisted, but she knew he must have still been in pain. Zelda let out a sigh.

"Did Mipha say how long you need to rest?"

"Another day at least," Link said, not sounding happy about it. "I'd rather be helping."

"You helped plenty," Zelda reassured him, reaching forward to cup the side of his face. "So just take your time. Want some breakfast?"

Link let out a weak breath of laughter.

"It's almost lunch already. But I'd love some."

"Seriously?" Zelda replied, glancing up at the tent fabric - sure enough, the sun was shining through nearly straight up above them. "I'd better go then, but I'll bring you some food," she said, but as she moved to stand, Link's hand caught hers and pulled her back to him as he propped himself up to meet her lips.

Her knees promptly fell back to the sand, and she kissed him softly but gratefully in return. Link was shaking a bit from holding himself up on one arm, and she pulled back a little earlier than she would have liked. With a groan, he fell back against the pillow, his breathing shallow.

"You're crazy," she said, a little amused and a little frustrated. "Don't push your luck with injuries like that."

"Sorry," Link replied with a cough. "I just - really wanted to kiss you."

Her expression softened, and she leaned forward to plant a light kiss on his cheek.

"I want to too. When you're strong enough," she clarified, and finally stood up, dusting sand off of her skirt. Right. It was still stained with blood. She really needed a change of clothes. In fact, Zelda suddenly had many things on her to-do list, and the day was quickly passing by.

"I'll pop in every little bit," she added, glancing back at him at the entrance of the tent. Link lifted a weak thumbs up in response, and so, reluctantly, she left to catch up on everything else.

Some had already begun rebuilding the front archway, but most of the efforts now were surrounding helping the wounded recover. Mipha was slumped in the shade of one of the tents, having passed out from exhaustion, and now they were letting her sleep and keeping a jug of cold water nearby for when she awoke. About fourteen had died the previous day because of the attacks from the Divine Beasts, and Zelda later discovered from Daruk that calamity-infested monsters had corrupted the machines and proved tough foes to beat for each champion.

Revali had gotten the worst of it. Medoh had been covered in guardians from each wing tip, and now, laying in the ruins around the divine beast, were hundreds of unmoving guardian bodies. It was a mess. But the Rito was expected to recover - it would just take a while. They weren't known for being quite as sturdy as Hylians were, after all.

Link's dad suffered a major injury to his left arm, and was being looked after urgently. Otherwise, mostly everyone was expected to recover, with only a few amputations needed. All in all, they had fought incredibly well. Some were already headed home to share the good news.

She was on her feet for the rest of the day, back and forth between Link, the wounded, the champions, and the Gerudo townspeople who stopped her now and again to say hello and thank-you. It was hectic, and she felt increasingly like she was running on empty. But she appreciated being so busy. It kept her mind from wandering, and made it easier to believe that it was really, actually, truly over.

Urbosa finally stopped her as she was heading down the palace steps for what felt like the hundredth time that day.

"Go to bed, Zelda. The town will still be standing when you wake up."

"I-"

She paused, looking at Urbosa hopelessly, but the chieftain only smiled warmly back at her and let out a little laugh a moment later.

"Come on. I'll tell you all about my battle, and you tell me about yours."

Reluctantly, she agreed, and Urbosa sat on the edge of her bed as she told her all about Ganon and the Guardians. In turn, she heard about the horrific creature Urbosa had faced, who dropped metal pillars and fought fire with fire. Urbosa said that as soon as Ganon was defeated, the monster disappeared, and that she had Zelda and Link to thank for her life. Eventually, Zelda dozed off to sleep, though she dreamt about thunderstorms.

She woke to the sound of something crashing. Her eyes flew open in the darkness, and she wasn't sure at first if it had happened in her dream or in real life. She looked upwards to see a figure standing by her dresser. One of her jewelry boxes had fallen off, and she squinted, finally making sense of who it was that was standing there - blond hair, blue shirt-

 _What?_

Link, although at first looking quite confident, staggered slightly as he looked up at her guiltily. Zelda was up and out of bed in a flash to steady him, and he glanced at her gratefully as she steadied him.

"What are you _doing?_ " she whispered incredulously, slinging one of his arms around her shoulder and directing him towards the bed nonetheless. "You're supposed to be resting!"

"I know," Link replied, grunting as she let him down carefully into the blankets. He sighed as he sat down, and then looked up to her. "But I missed you."

She couldn't help smiling, and sat down next to him in the bed, pulling her legs towards herself criss-cross.

"I missed you too," she admitted, "but I want you to get better."

"I already am," he said defiantly. "I climbed the palace stairs."

"And nearly knocked yourself out doing it," she laughed back, but there was no argument to be had here. She'd never been so glad to see him.

"I can do more than that," he said suddenly, and when Zelda looked back at him curiously, she was surprised to see such strong intent in his eyes. It was the first time he'd had that look in them for a while - _it was like - like when -_

"Link," she protested, her smile fading slightly. "You can't be serious."

His eyes searched hers. He looked serious.

"It's not that I don't want to," she stammered then, "I do want to - but-"

He closed the distance between them quickly, lips pressing to hers, eagerly and restlessly. Her heart lit aflame. It had been so long since he'd had him like this, and she wanted him, but-

"Mm - Link, you're just going to risk a slower recovery," she protested, pulling away slightly from his lips, but keeping her head close. Link pressed his forehead to hers, and hot breaths hung between them.

"Then let's just take it slow," he said quietly, and she opened her eyes in slight surprise to see his right across from hers, looking gentle, but firm. Does he seriously want to-

"Only if you want to," he replied suddenly, moving forwards for another brief kiss and tugging slightly at her bottom lip. Zelda's eyes fell shut. Every part of her wanted him. She reached tentatively forwards, enjoying the sensation of making him wait for her answer as she played with the fabric on his shirt.

"I told you I wanted to," she replied slowly, smiling a little from nervousness. His lips were back on hers in a second, and he seemed somewhat impatient, which was new, but certainly not unwelcome.

"Mm- but- Link-" she pulled away slightly from his lips again, and he waited with baited breath.

"You can't push yourself. Alright?"

For a moment, he only stared back at her stubbornly, but then finally a sigh escaped him.

"Yeah, fine."

"Good," Zelda replied, letting her shoulders relax a little. The last thing they needed was an embarrassing story to tell Mipha the next day if she saw that Link's injuries weren't healing like they should have. But this - although this wasn't new to her, having Link was -

She wasn't given much time to think of it. After a brief pause, Link had begun kissing her again, reaching behind her to unclasp her top and running his hands down and back up her back. She laughed a little in response, lifting his shirt up, slowly and carefully, and they broke apart briefly as she lifted it up and over his head. He inhaled sharply a little as he lifted his arms, and then looked back at her quickly.

"It's fine," he said, clearly anticipating her immediate worry. But Zelda's eyes had dropped to his chest. Scars trailed across it here and there, still red but mostly healed. At least five were on his chest, mirroring the curved path of Gabon's scimitar.

"Zel."

Link's voice was soft as he reached to cup the side of her face, lifting her gaze up to meet his.

"I'm okay. Really."

All she could do was stare back at him and try to trust that he meant it. She tried to keep telling herself that it was over - that Link was okay now and they were safe. It was hard to convince herself of that. He pulled her back in for another kiss, and she pushed back against him. His warm chest felt nice compared to her cold breasts, and Link shivered involuntarily in response. He pushed back against her, their bodies pressed together as he lowered her down onto her back in the sheets. She felt his knee making space between her legs, and his hands deftly untying the sheer wrap she was wearing as pajama bottoms.

His kisses moved to jaw, and then her neck, and Zelda gasped as he pressed his hips into hers.

"Link-"

"I'll go slow."

He was certainly honest. When she'd finally untied his waistband and he had his cock pressed against her, she grew impatient quickly. They shifted a bit until the angle was right, and then slowly he pushed himself inside her. Zelda felt her mind go completely fuzzy, and moaned against his shoulder as he moved in and out carefully until finally it was a smoother process. Her legs lifted to accommodate him, warmth alighting in her chest as he pushed deeper. She'd been clutching his back, but now Zelda let her head fall back against the bed.

Link followed, kissing her still as he moved, but he let out a gasp of breath and tensed suddenly. Zelda's eyes flew open, and suddenly Link was propping himself up on one arm, his body still.

"Link?"

"It's fine," he said through gritted teeth, but that was clearly a lie. Zelda moved sideways a bit, and Link slowly and reluctantly pulled out of her, falling with a sigh into the sheets.

"I told you not to push it-"

His hands were on her hips as she spoke, and he swung her over suddenly to be straddling him. Zelda looked down at him incredulously.

"Link-"

"I'm okay now," he replied with a smile, "I just had to move. Really. This feels a lot better."

She watched him apprehensively, but he seemed confident, and helped adjust her until his cock slowly pushed up and into her once more. She gasped at the sensation - it was much different being on top of him - and his hands held her waist, pushing her back and forth.

A moan escaped her as he moved a little harder, and her head fell back, auburn hair tickling her back as Link moved her as he liked. She was content to let go in the moment completely, her mind focusing on nothing but how good he felt inside of her.

Link's breathing began to become heavier and louder, and she glanced down at him to see his eyes shut tight, sweat beading on his face and chest. He still looked a little in pain, and so Zelda rocked a little harder. A gasp escaped him. His lips fell open, red on his cheeks, and Zelda watched him breathlessly as she continued moving.

"Zel- I'm-"

His head fell back into the pillow as he finished, and Zelda let out a breath she hadn't realised she was holding. Link's eyes, suddenly wide and surprise, looked at her in a minor panic. She leaned down, pressing her chest against his, and kissed his neck softly. He was surprisingly tense, and she had a feeling she knew why.

"It's okay."

"But - I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"Link."

She propped herself up on his shoulders, meeting his eyes steadily as his breathing began to calm down.

"Really."

She could see the gears turning behind his eyes, a slow understanding and acceptance of what she'd said. His arms lifted, wrapping around her and pulling her close, pushing his head into her shoulder. Zelda let herself sink into the embrace, happy, comfortable, safe.


	15. Chapter 15

"Sav'ooootta!"

Zelda woke with a start the next morning at Urbosa's sing-song voice from not far away. She felt distinctly like she'd forgotten about something, or made a mistake, and she was right. The sun was well up, but Link's arms were still around her.

She looked up barely in time to hear Urbosa coming up the stairs, and hurriedly she brought the blanket up to cover Link as well as her chest. She flew up to sit upright, trying to position herself in front of him as Urbosa leaned against the doorway.

"I know you're tired, but there's someone here to see you downstairs. And you've got mail," she added, waving a letter towards Zelda with a smile.

"O-okay," Zelda replied quickly, "I'll be right down."

After Urbosa turned and left, Zelda let out a sigh of relief. Link's arms snaked around her from below the blankets, and dragged her down suddenly. She turned in surprise, only to find Link's lips on hers, and he moved suddenly to her jaw and her neck and her chest and-

"Link!" she whispered, stifling quiet laughter as he planted a flurry of kiss over her body. "Sa'oten, if she'd seen you-"

"She didn't," he replied, lifting himself up a little as the blanket fell back from off his head. His eyes were brighter than before, his scars somewhat more faded. Rest was clearly helping him. Zelda smiled down at him, bringing him close for another embrace. But if she wasn't down soon, Urbosa would come back upstairs to call for her...

"I have to go downstairs," she finally said, reluctantly dragging herself out of bed. "You think you can still sneak out okay?"

"Easy," he replied simply, propping his head up on one elbow. "Come see me after and tell me what the news was."

Once she'd changed into new clothes, Zelda headed hurriedly down the palace steps, smoothing her hair as she went. She was hoping that it wasn't someone super important, because she certainly didn't look her best. But she'd been incredibly busy over the last couple days, and surely whoever it was would understand. She wondered now why Urbosa hadn't just told her who it was, but as she came around the corner into the throne room, she realized why.

"Impa!"

The Sheikah woman had been facing away from her, but Zelda knew the distinct outfits of Kakariko and the near floor-length white hair that set Impa apart. She turned to see Zelda now, a smile pulling on her lips.

"There you are. I was so glad to hear the good news."

Zelda approached hesitantly at first, but Impa seemed to know what she wanted, and closed the distance between them in a hug.

"Congratulations. I'm so happy for you."

"Sarqso," Zelda said, her voice muffled through Impa's shirt - even among the Gerudo, Impa was tall.

"I have a letter to give you from a friend I ran into along the way," she said, pulling back and fishing an envelope from her shirt pocket. Impa held it out to her, and Zelda took it carefully, immediately noticing the royal Hyrule wax seal on the front.

"I have an inkling as to what King Rohan has to ask of you. Whatever it is, don't make up your mind too fast."

Zelda nodded quickly in return. Impa flashed a smile and then turned to Urbosa.

"It was good to see you again. I shouldn't overstay my welcome," she added with a laugh, but Urbosa shook her head quickly.

"You're always welcome. I'd tour you around, but-" Urbosa trailed off, glancing down to Zelda.

"I'm sure whatever this is, I can handle on my own. Go," Zelda reassured her.

Urbosa looked hesitant, but Impa smiled and linked her arms with the Gerudo woman.

"You heard her. Tour time!"

With Urbosa finally dragged out of the palace, Zelda got comfy in her throne for the first time in a while, and then slowly opened the letter. It felt wrong even tearing it because the paper was so nice and pretty, but she was too curious to find out what the message was. Finally it unfurled in front of her, in King Rhoam's classic handwriting.

 _Princess Zelda of the Gerudo:_

 _On behalf of the Kingdom of Hyrule, I would like to offer my sincerest gratitude and congratulations for your victory against Calamity Ganon. Destiny is a tricky beast, and mastering it takes patience and perhaps a little luck. How lucky we are, then, that our fates were in your hands. We are all indebted to you._

 _I have a request that may be asking too much. Please do not think any less of me for it. I am growing old, and have no heir to show for the throne. The time is coming to select a new ruler of Hyrule. Technically, were I to pass, the role would go to the captain of the royal guard. But I do not wish for Hyrule to be governed by a military mind._

 _I am formally requesting that you take your place as Princess of Hyrule, and eventually Queen when I have passed. I understand you may not want to leave Gerudo Town. I understand you may not want this at all. Please consider it regardless._

 _I would hope to hear your answer soon._

 _Best regards,_

 _King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule_

Her hands were shaking by the time she finished reading the letter, and her heart was racing. He seriously wanted her - _her_ \- to rule all of Hyrule? She'd hardly left the desert, hardly met anyone in the kingdom, and he wanted her to take his place? She'd been in the castle maybe once altogether, and he wanted her to _rule_ it? She folded the letter, put it back in the envelope, and then promptly took it back out again to re-read it and make sure the sun hadn't been getting to her over the last few days.

Zelda sunk into the pillows on her throne, zoning out as her mind raced back and forth between the two options. If she didn't leave, the throne would go to the captain of the royal guard - Link's dad. He'd just been injured in battle. He was a good man, but didn't seem like the ruling type. And if he didn't take it, then - Link?

She wasn't sure if the hierarchy really worked that way, or if it would go down to another nobleman instead. Either way, she wasn't sure how she would bring it up to Link at all. But her first instinct was to say no. She didn't want to abandon her people, not now, after everything that had happened. She was supposed to live a long life looking after them. She was supposed to produce her own heirs for them.

The night before flashed back into her memory, and she covered her face with her hands. Why did she expect Link to just stick around after all that? She wanted to be with him, of course she did, but he had his own kingdom to help and look after - and so did she. In a way, this was providing her a way out of that obligation, a way to stay close to him, but that felt far too selfish a reason to accept King Rhoam's request.

No.

 _I have to stay for Gerudo._

The decision, in her mind, felt final. She was too bitter to cry over it. All she could think was that, maybe, at least Link would be happy with her decision.

Later that day, after Urbosa saw Impa off - and looking strangely in a better mood than usual - Zelda met with the champions for the first time since Ganon's defeat, in the war tent outside. They were silent when she walked in, but before she could say anything, Daruk was up and embracing her in a rocky but comfortable hold, and the others followed quickly - even Revali.

"Guys," Zelda laughed weakly, pulling away after a moment and smiling.

"Despite the odds, you did it," Revali said suddenly, sounding distinctly surprised at the outcome but also impressed. Zelda smiled skeptically at his tone, but took the compliment for what it was. The Rito had a cast on one of his feet still, and a makeshift bandage on one of his wings. Apparently he'd have to wait a bit before he could fly again, because he'd suffered a fracture.

"Thank you, Revali," she replied, looking sympathetically towards him, but he only scoffed in response.

"Don't give me that look. I'm fine. If Ganon needed fifty Guardians to go after me and Medoh, then at least even he knew I was a threat."

"How's Medoh doing, by the way?" Daruk asked, looking nervous to hear the answer. The rest of the champions and Zelda turned expectantly to Revali, who looked uncomfortable at the question.

"She's -" he paused, looking as if he was trying to find the words. "Well, I'll just be out with it. She's broken, just like her pilot."

"You are _not_ broken," Urbosa retorted, but Revali only looked back at her with a sharp stare.

"A bird that can't fly isn't broken, hm?"

"You'll be in the air again soon," Mipha reassured him, her voice gentle.

"And so will Medoh," Zelda added, meeting Revali's eyes. He looked unconvinced.

"Well. It's not like Hyrule will be needing either of us anytime soon, anyways. So-" he said, suddenly looking eager to change the topic - "what's the news?"

Now it was Zelda's turn to be put on the spot. She looked warily towards Link, who had been silent this whole time, but was now smiling as he turned his gaze towards her. She had an idea of how the champions might take it, and what they might think, but she had no clue how he would respond.

"King Rhoam - um- sent me a letter," she began, looking towards Urbosa for guidance. The chieftain only tilted her head, raising her eyebrows expectantly.

"He asked - he's asked me to act as Princess of Hyrule," she stammered, "but I'm going to say no."

"What?" Urbosa asked suddenly, and Zelda looked up at her in surprise. "You're declining?"

"Of course she is," Mipha responded quietly. "She wants to stay for her people. Right?"

Zelda looked back at Mipha gratefully. At least the Zora understood.

"It's not like the ruler of Hyrule should be someone who's barely stepped foot into the kingdom, anyways," Revali chirped up, rolling his eyes.

"But the Princess would do a fantastic job," Daruk argued, and Zelda was surprised at his passion. "King Rhoam doesn't have an heir. She'd be perfect!"

As if on queue, everyone turned to Link then, curious to hear his input. Zelda was hesitant to meet his eyes, but when she did, she was surprised. For the first time in a while, she couldn't read his expression. It was as if he hadn't made up his mind on the matter.

"I- I don't know," he said suddenly, his shoulders dropping. He glanced quickly at the other Champions, and then she remembered - they didn't know about them. They didn't know they'd been spending nights together. Urbosa probably had a feeling as to what had happened, considering that Zelda told her how she'd thrown herself at Link to save him. But she'd left out the part about loving him. Part of her hadn't yet come to terms with that. And in a way, she was embarrassed. Not about loving him, but that that emotion, and not her love for her people, was what saved the kingdom.

"I support her decision," was all he said then, glancing away and fiddling absently with his earring. Zelda tried to hide her frown. Something about that wasn't very believable, but they'd have to discuss it in private later on. And besides that - how would she go about telling everyone about their relationship? Her and Link were celebrities enough on their own. But if she _didn't_ come out with it, the rumor mill would get a hold of it and who knows what sort of crap they would start to spread throughout the kingdom…

She looked back to Urbosa, who seemed conflicted but finally let out a sigh.

"I think you'd do well, little bird."

"It's not that I'm worried about - how well I'd do," she lied - she absolutely was worried - "but the town, Gerudo town… we just went through so much. They need me here."

"Have you asked any of them?" Daruk piped up suddenly, and it gave Zelda pause. Urbosa smiled at his question and looked at Zelda matter-of-factly, but she was too stubborn.

"No, and I don't need to worry them over it, not now," she retorted. "There's enough to do without me abandoning them. I'm going to write a hawk to King Rhoam today, so there's no need to speak any more of it," she finally said, sighing.

"You don't need to write a hawk," Link said then, looking a little nervous. "I'm leaving today. I'll take it with me."

 _...what?_

"You're leaving today?" Urbosa asked, looking a little surprised. Link scratched the back of his neck.

"Yeah," he replied quietly, "Dad wants me to go back to help out, since some of the troops are out of commission, and - you know, we lost a couple."

Zelda's mouth dropped open. The tent was suddenly dead silent. Why didn't he tell her? Why didn't he think of telling her in private, instead of now? He was just - after last night, after everything - leaving? She couldn't show how distraught she was at this news, and turned abruptly to leave.

"I'm going to check on the wounded. I'll see you all later."

She didn't wait to listen to their protests, didn't look back at Link, didn't stop at all before leaving and heading straight for the medical tent. She felt like a fool, and a distinct and familiar pain was tugging at her heart. The notion of Link leaving was too much to handle. She couldn't face him. She didn't want him to chase after her, didn't want to have to justify her feelings to him, didn't want to admit how much it hurt her. She'd been left before, after all.

She sat on one of the empty cots in the medical tent, face in her hands as she tried to sort her feelings, but a voice distracted her.

"Rupee for your thoughts?"

She looked up and back in surprise; in the bed behind her was Eagus. She didn't recognize him at first. A tuft of blonde hair here and there escaped the wrap he had around his head. Zelda did a double take at his left arm - it was gone, wrapped at the shoulder instead. Her heart jumped to her throat.

"Eagus," she greeted him, choking on her voice. "I'm sorry. I didn't see you there."

"S'alright," he replied, sounding strangely chipper despite his circumstances. He looked at her expectantly then, and Zelda let out a sigh.

"King Rhoam asked me to look after Hyrule in his stead, but I'm afraid I'll be leaving that job to you," she replied, trying not to sound too bitter. Eagus' expression dropped.

"Goddesses, I wish ya wouldn't. I'm not fit to look after things. And if it weren't me, it'd be Link. I love my boy, but he's not the best under pressure," he added with a laugh. Zelda looked at him quizzically.

"Isn't he? He's Hyrule's hero, he… he slayed Ganon."

"Don't get me wrong, I'm proud of him. Best swordsman I know. But he wears his heart on his sleeve. Too much of a people pleaser. The stress would probably get to him, same as me," Eagus admitted, looking up honestly at Zelda as she turned to sit cross-legged on the cot.

"Sure you don't need me telling you your job is hard," he continued, looking sympathetic. "But you seem well-suited to it. Rhoam wouldn't ask just anyone."

Zelda was surprised at the vote of confidence from someone she barely knew, but she wanted to believe him. Maybe it was just that he had the same striking blue eyes as Link. There was something comforting about them, and she was inclined to listen.

"I can't leave my people," she finally sighed, looking down at the floor. "They need me more than ever."

"Who says you'd be leaving 'em?" Eagus questioned. "Ah, nevermind. It isn't my place. You do what you think is right."

Zelda nodded in response, but couldn't shake something Link had asked her before - is it a gut feeling, or just guilt, and found herself unable to answer it. The feelings were beginning to blur into one. She would no doubt feel guilty leaving Gerudo Town, but she also felt bad leaving Hyrule. And as much as she loved him, her gut told her Link would not want to be leading the kingdom. No doubt he was excited to put down the Master Sword for good, too.

But she couldn't help feeling like she'd already made up her mind, and there was no going back on it. She bid farewell and thanked Eagus, and then left for the palace to write her response to King Rhoam. The entire time, she wished Link would show up, but sneaking into Gerudo Town in broad daylight would be tough. Eventually, Urbosa arrived at her doorway, knocking the stone walls.

"Hey, little bird. Link is heading out soon. Come down and see us, okay?"

"I've - got some thinking to do, actually," Zelda replied, trying not to have her voice break on the words. "I can't. Can you ask him to take this letter to Rhoam? And say sorry for me?" she asked, her hands shaking as she sealed the letter and stood to hand it to Urbosa. But the chieftain looked unconvinced.

"You're not serious."

"I can't stand to say goodbye to him," Zelda finally said, tripping over the words and unable to fight the tears that fell now. She wiped them away halfheartedly, avoiding Urbosa's eyes. "I can't. I can't, I'm sorry."

"What happened with you two?" Urbosa asked, her voice quiet now, but Zelda only shook her head in response. She couldn't find the words. Not now.

"...Alright," Urbosa said with a sigh, taking the letter resignedly and turning to leave. "But you make things better sometime soon, okay? He's done a lot for Gerudo Town."

"I know," Zelda replied weakly as Urbosa left back down the stairs, and a moment later, she crawled underneath the blankets of her bed and wished she would just disappear.

She'd nearly cried herself to sleep when Urbosa finally came back up to her room.

"If you're done the pity-party, the town has something to say to you," Urbosa said, shaking the blankets and rousing Zelda from her dozing. Bitterly, she dragged herself up and out of bed, and followed Urbosa down the steps. She wasn't in the mood to receive anymore thanks or praise from them, but nearly the whole town had gathered nonetheless in the square, so Zelda tried to make herself look presentable as she stood ahead of them. To her surprise, Urbosa walked down the steps in front of her and then turned, standing in front of the crowd - and then she spotted Mipha and Daruk in the midst as well. She tried not to blush. She was embarrassed for her actions earlier.

"Princess Zelda," Urbosa began, "on behalf of Gerudo Town, we formally request that you accept your place as Princess Zelda of Hyrule."

Zelda was shocked. She couldn't stop her jaw from dropping. Had Urbosa told the whole town of what King Rhoam had asked? She wanted to kill her, but then-

"Urbosa told us that you didn't want to abandon us," Torae spoke out, taking a step forward and out of the crowd. "But none of us see it that way. You would honor us, and the Gerudo People, by doing this."

Honor? She couldn't wrap her head around the sentiment at first, but as she looked around the faces in the crowd, they were all smiling proudly up at her.

"Make sure you come back to visit!"

"We believe in you!"

"Congrats!"

Urbosa headed back up the steps then, resting a hand on Zelda's shoulder.

"I can handle things here while you're gone. Really, little bird. You should go."

"I already gave Link the letter to give to King Rhoam," she protested - a last ditch effort at holding onto her stubbornness - but Urbosa only tilted her head at her.

"Then I guess you'd better leave right away."

She'd never packed so fast. Urbosa promised to bring her more clothes the next time she took a trip, but in the meantime, Zelda threw a heavy bag over her shoulders, took a sand seal to the desert gateway, and prayed she'd reach Link in time. Thankfully, it was a little slow-going there due to the boulders still being cleared away, and as she approached the stable, she could see Link - not far away, riding on his stallion and holding a rope attached to Lilac. He clearly had meant it when he said he'd look after her.

Zelda was about to call for him, but instead waited a moment. Sure enough, the blond looked over his shoulder, and even from such a distance she could see his eyes suddenly widen and the horses come to an abrupt stop. She caught up with him, but Lilac greeted her excitedly before Link had a chance, and she gave the white horse a few grateful pats before looking up at the blond. He looked surprised, but also relieved.

"What are you doing?"

"Do you still have that letter?" she asked, and Link nodded silently as she hopped up onto Lilac and untied the rope he'd had attached to her saddle.

"Can you rip it up?"

She looked up at him. His lips dropped open a little, and then shut into a smile.

"Yeah."

"Your dad said you might not be so keen on running the kingdom," Zelda said then, glancing away only briefly before looking back at him. "So I guess I'll do it. You know. For you."

Link let out a breath of laughter, and then looked back to her with bright eyes.

"I love you, Zel."

* * *

 **well - this is it! hope you enjoyed!**


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